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☆ Target Pride backlash exposes 'rainbow capitalism' problem, designer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Helen Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Erik Carnell, transgender designer and artist whose products were pulled by U.S. retailer Target from its Pride Collection amid backlash from some of their customers, poses for a portrait in London, Britain, May 30, 2023. REUTERS/Dylan MartinezLONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - U.S. retailer Target's decision to remove some LGBTQ-themed merchandise after customer backlash in its stores highlights the problem with companies' "rainbow capitalism," said Erik Carnell, a transgender designer whose products were pulled from its stores. Target (TGT.N) has sold LGBTQ-related goods tied to Pride month for years. Target's collection for Pride Month, which is celebrated every year in June, includes more than 2,000 products, including Carnell's Abprallen brand. "We stand with you now and will continue to do so - not just during Pride Month, but each and every day," he said.

Persons: Erik Carnell, Dylan Martinez, Carnell, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Brian Cornell, Etsy, Helen Reid, Siddharth Cavale, Kate Masters, Matt Scuffham, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S, Target, REUTERS, Dylan Martinez LONDON, Kohl's, Pride Month, Anheuser, Reuters, Business, Pride, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, New York

[1/2] A logo of Brazil's state-run Petrobras oil company is seen at its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil October 16, 2019. REUTERS/Sergio MoraesSAO PAULO, May 18 (Reuters) - A decision by Brazil's environmental regulator to block state-owned oil company Petrobras' Amazon oil project has exposed tensions in President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's coalition between green advocates and those prioritizing economic development. Ibama, late on Wednesday, said it would block a request by state-run oil giant Petrobras (PETR4.SA) to drill at the Amazon mouth near Amapá, in a much-awaited decision that followed a technical recommendation by Ibama experts to reject the project. The decision by Ibama, which is overseen by Lula's environment minister, the globally recognized environmentalist Marina Silva, has riled some within the governing coalition. "We'll fight against this decision," Rodrigues wrote on Twitter, adding that "the people of Amapa want to have the right to be heard".

☆ Proud Boys trial: Four members found guilty of seditious conspiracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Four members of the far-right Proud Boys have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy by a jury in Washington, DC, for their role to forcibly prevent the peaceful transfer of power from then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the seditious conspiracy charge against Pezzola. Proud Boys were at the front lines of the mob on Capitol grounds and were there when the first barriers were breached. Prosecutors have alleged that leaders of the group riled members up and communicated with them, through hand signals, to move ahead. During the trial, jurors listened to testimony from multiple officers who defended the Capitol on January 6 as well as FBI agents who investigated the Proud Boys and testimony from several Proud Boys members including two of the defendants, none of whom said there was ever a specific plan to take the Capitol.

As he had last week, the British singer-songwriter played guitar and sang from the witness stand to underscore his testimony, telling jurors his song "Thinking Out Loud" had actually been inspired by Irish musician Van Morrison. Sheeran said he and other performers frequently perform such "mash ups," and that he had on other occasions combined "Thinking Out Loud" with Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" and Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You." He ridiculed Frank's questions about how often Sheeran collaborates with others in writing songs, which he said was common practice. If Sheeran is found liable, there will be a second trial to determine the damages amount. Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York Editing by David Bario and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mark Cuban says he could get people to pay $100 for Twitter's blue checkmarks—Elon Musk's strategy is a 'huge mistake'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"There were 100 ways [Musk] could have asked legacy checks for $100," Cuban wrote. When rolling out the subscription service, Musk removed blue checkmarks from previously verified users, and made them available to anyone willing to pay. It's unclear whether he's paying for Twitter Blue or Musk is covering his subscription. Musk's implementation of Twitter Blue could make both elements harder for many users, particularly when they're no longer sure who they're actually speaking with. "Twitter still is the best game in town for so many different types of communications," Cuban wrote.

☆ China is pushing ahead with a planned military base in the UAE in a clear snub to the US, leaked papers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

China has resumed the construction of a military base in the UAE, leaker papers show. Plans for a Chinese base had earlier been halted amid US concerns. According to leaked US intelligence documents obtained by The Washington Post, construction has resumed at a Chinese military base just outside Abu Dhabi. According to the report, US intelligence is monitoring Chinese activity at the base and at other locations in the oil-rich UAE amid concerns that it is drawing closer to Beijing. China in recent months has made an audacious power play in the Middle East, organising a diplomatic thaw between longtime rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The logo of German software group SAP is pictured at the headquarters of SAP (Schweiz) AG in Regensdorf, Switzerland January 22, 2021. Revenue from SAP's lucrative cloud business grew 24% year-on-year, broadly in line with consensus. For the year, SAP expects non-IFRS operating profit in the range of 8.6-8.9 billion euros, 200 million euros less than before. Cloud revenue forecast is seen down by 1.3 billion euros to between 14 and 14.4 billion euros. "Underlying guidance is essentially unchanged, although updated to reflect the disposal of Qualtrics," Jefferies analysts wrote in a client note.

☆ Republican-led US House to vote on ban on transgender student athletes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Katharine Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Thursday on a bill that would ban transgender women and girls from competing in women's and girls' school sports, weighing in on an issue that has riled social conservatives. The measure would change the civil rights law known as Title IX to require that a student's sex be "based on an individual's reproductive biology and genetics at birth." Enacted in 1972, Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities that receive federal funding. The White House on Monday said in a statement that the bill would effectively deny access to sports for transgender students, even at the elementary school level. On Wednesday, Florida education officials voted to ban classroom instruction on gender identity and social orientation in public schools through high school.

Imbalance had long riled Nissan executives who complained Renault did not pay its fair share of costs for innovation and development. In a joint statement to Reuters, Nissan and Renault said they were working toward final partnership terms that would make them more competitive. Nissan will invest and provide technology for the venture but will limit its operational involvement, one of the people told Reuters. In rebalancing talks, Nissan has pushed for protection of its technology to limit any downside from continued partnership, people involved have said. Among technology Nissan wants to protect is its work on solid-state lithium-ion battery making and its e-Power electric hybrid powertrain, the people said.

☆ NPR stops using Twitter after receiving ‘government funded media’ label
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —NPR on Wednesday said that it is suspending its use of Twitter after clashing with the social media company over a controversial new “state-affiliated media” label applied to its accounts. The move was quickly rebuked by NPR, which is publicly funded by listeners. Twitter has also faced backlash over applying a similar “government funded media” label to the BBC, which is also primarily funded by the public. Twitter has faced an exodus of advertisers, who have been concerned about increased hate speech on the platform and massive cuts to the company’s workforce. In the meantime, Musk has taken on the uphill battle of encouraging users to pay $8 per month for the platform’s subscription service.

☆ India launches villages programme in Arunachal, ignores angry China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Yp Rajesh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] India's Home Minister Amit Shah greets the media upon his arrival at the home ministry in New Delhi, India, June 1, 2019. In December last year, troops from the two sides engaged in scuffles in the state's Tawang sector, and last week India rejected the renaming by China of 11 places, including five mountains, in Arunachal Pradesh. A map released last week showed the 11 places renamed by China as being within "Zangnan", or southern Tibet in Chinese, with Arunachal Pradesh included in southern Tibet. "Today we proudly say, gone are the days when anyone could encroach on our territory," Shah said, speaking in Hindi and without naming China. "Zangnan is China's territory," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said earlier on Monday in response to a question on Shah's visit.

☆ Arsenal rue loss of discipline as they squander two-goal lead against Liverpool
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Still, the mood in the dressing room after Sunday's edge-of-seat drama was about two points lost than the one salvaged, manager Mikel Arteta said. "Super intense match," Arteta said. "We relied on big defensive moments where Aaron took a big part," Arteta said. Arsenal's lead was cut to six points, with City having a game in hand. The result set up what should be a thrilling match between the two at City's Etihad home on April 26.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social profile shortly after arriving in New York from Florida on Monday, urging supporters to donate to his campaign. The arraignment, where Trump will be in court to hear charges and have a chance to enter a plea, was planned for 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) on Tuesday. Citing a single source briefed on Tuesday's arraignment procedures, Yahoo said none of the charges against Trump were misdemeanors. PROTESTS AND POPULARITYPolice over the weekend began erecting barricades near Trump Tower - where Trump arrived on Monday after flying in from Florida - and the Manhattan Criminal Court building, with demonstrations expected at both sites on Tuesday. On the Manhattan case, Trump in 2018 initially disputed knowing anything about the payment to Daniels.

☆ Inside a shake-up at the world's 'most feared law firm'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Casey Sullivan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

It's been a tumultuous period for Quinn and the storied law firm he built over the past 37 years — now the world's largest litigation firm with hourly rates that can be north of $2,000. But behind the scenes, a shift at QE has been the talk of elite law firm circles. Indeed, the firm – known as a singular, even freewheeling, institution that brands itself as the "#1 Most Feared Law Firm in the World" — may appear to be less in the image of its founder as a generational shift brings changes. "We all thought it was important that the world understands this is not a one generation law firm." One former firm partner in California says he believes Quinn's inner circle generally got better deals.

A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump, possibly over a "hush-money" payment. Here's a timeline of Trump and Daniels' alleged relationship, the $130,000 payment to keep Daniels silent, and the testimonies leading to a possible indictment. Markus Schreiber/APManhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg convened a grand jury in mid-January of this year to consider an indictment against Trump. And Trump's former fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen, prosecutors' key witness, has made repeated visits to the DA's office and to the grand jury. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesThe Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump on Thursday, March 30.

NatWest, supported by climate activist groups, is happy with 100% of facilitated emissions being attributed to the banks behind capital markets deals. Tonia Plakhotniuk, NatWest Markets' Vice President, Climate & ESG Capital Markets, said that 17% risked "a mismatch" because investors would not account for the remainder themselves. This includes Barclays, which apportions 33% of the capital markets financing to the bank and the rest to investors. Reuters GraphicsUntil banks agree on a compromise, experts say lenders could look to book more business as capital markets rather than loans. The Basel Committee's methodology for assessing Global Systemically Important Banks considers direct lending to be six times more important in its impact on the financial system than capital markets underwriting.

☆ Pence says Trump 'endangered my family' on Jan. 6
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"President Trump was wrong," Pence said during remarks at the annual white-tie Gridiron Dinner attended by politicians and journalists. In the days leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, Trump pressured Pence to overturn President Joe Biden's election victory as he presided over the ceremonial certification of the results. Pence refused, and when rioters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wanted to "hang Mike Pence." With his remarks, Pence solidified his place in a broader debate within the Republican Party over how to view the attack. "Make no mistake about it, what happened that day was a disgrace," Pence said in his Gridiron Dinner remarks.

☆ Former VP Mike Pence accuses 'reckless' Donald Trump of endangering his family during the January 6 riots
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Pence has said that Donald Trump "endangered my family" in the January 6 riots. In the lead-up to the Jan. 6 riots, Trump urged Pence to overturn the 2020 election results. In the lead-up to the January 6 riots in Washington, DC, Trump urged Pence to overturn the 2020 election results. Rioters chanted "hang Mike Pence" as they stormed the Capitol building and erected a noose. Former President elect Donald Trump, left, and former Vice President Mike Pence acknowledge the crowd during the first stop of his post-election tour, in Cincinnati on December 1, 2016.

☆ Israel president says judicial compromise 'closer' as protests escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Steven Scheer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

JERUSALEM, March 6 (Reuters) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday said a compromise in the government's judicial overhaul plan could be imminent even as protests against the reform continued to spread. In a statement late on Monday, Netanyahu criticised the threats to refuse military service, which he said endangered Israel's existence. "There is room for protest, there is room for disagreements, for expressing opinions, but there is no room for refusal." Herzog last month floated a compromise plan to spare the country what he described as a "constitutional collapse". The judicial overhaul plan, which has already received initial parliamentary approval, would give the government greater sway on selecting judges and limit the power of the Supreme Court to strike down legislation.

☆ Democrats are venting over Biden's 'very infuriating' position on DC crime law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Democrats are "disappointed" and angry with Biden's position on a GOP move to block a DC crime law. "If the President supports DC statehood, he should govern like it," tweeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. "If the President supports DC statehood, he should govern like it," she tweeted. The resolution's passage would mark the first time the federal government has voted to overrule DC legislation in decades and undermines the campaign for DC statehood. Asked about Biden's decision, Bowman said police unions are powerful.

☆ Paul, Fury hit their marks ahead of Saudi celebrity boxing showdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIYADH, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Jake Paul and Tommy Fury made weight on Saturday ahead of their showdown in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, when both men will put their unbeaten records on the line in a long-awaited contest more about celebrity bragging rights than punching prowess. "Tomorrow night his time is up, Jake Paul will no longer be boxing. I'm going to put Jake Paul away inside four rounds," a riled-up Tommy Fury said from the stage. The 23-year-old Fury may have a more traditional boxing background behind his record, but he is more famous for his celebrity sibling and his career in British reality TV than his pugilistic skills. "Like the posters say, the talk is over, we've done all the 'yeah, yeah, yeah', all the hoopla.

☆ One year into Ukraine war, US gas prices are lower. Here’s what to expect ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Why prices shot up, then fellA number of factors have coincided to bring prices steadily lower since then. Now, a year after the start of the war, crude oil prices on global markets and the retail price of regular gas across most of the United States are below pre-war levels. OPIS expects the average price throughout the course of 2023 to come in around $3.45, down from $3.96 last year. Few things take a bite out of gas prices like a recession, or even just the fear of one. The average price of a gallon of regular gas hit a then-record of $4.11 in early July 2008, according to OPIS data.

☆ George Santos' attack on Colombian Botox is 'completely false,' Medical Tourism Association CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A leaked audio recording of George Santos revealed him disparaging Colombian Botox treatments as "diluted." The Medical Tourism Association CEO rejects that premise, calling it "completely false." The comment riled the CEO of the Medical Tourism Association, who called it yet another "absurd" statement from the embattled Santos. If you go to the right physicians, clinics or hospitals you are not going to be receiving diluted Botox." "You could receive diluted botox here in the US or receive Botox that isn't even real, or by a doctor here who actually isn't a doctor," he said.

[1/5] Protesters clash with police officers during an anti-government demonstration following the ouster of Peru's former President Pedro Castillo, in Lima, Peru January 24, 2023. The violence has left 48 people dead with 10 more civilians killed in accidents or other issues related to the blockades. Protesters have pledged to fight on until new elections are held, Boluarte resigns and Congress is shut. The protests, while focused in the south, have spread across the nation, with hundreds of road blockades using trees, rocks and car tires jamming up transport. "I am Inca blood," said Cirilo Yupanqui, wearing a pink gas mask while protesting in capital Lima.

☆ ChatGPT has only been around for two months and is causing untold chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An updated version of OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, launched on November 30. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyIt's safe to say ChatGPT is causing chaos. The AI chatbot from OpenAI has only been around for two months and has already amassed more than one million users. From job-seekers, to rival tech companies, and academics, here are some of the people feeling the heat of ChatGPT. I asked ChatGPT to write my cover letters and sent them to hiring managers to see what they thought.

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