DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ How unusually mild weather prevented what could've been the first aircraft carrier battle since World War II
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sebastien Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Argentine jets were poised to strike when the usually turbulent South Atlantic winds took a mild turn. Few of the half-dozen Argentine aviators expected to survive the attack, dubbed "Banzai Night" after the famous Japanese battle cry. Government of ArgentinaIronically, the Veinticinco de Mayo was originally a British carrier named the HMS Venerable launched by the Cammell Laird shipyard near the end of World War II. After a damaging boiler-room fire, the Karel was sold in 1969 to the Argentine Navy which extensively modernized and rebuilt the 25-year-old vessel. The Harrier and the Sea DartSea Harrier jump jets aboard HMS Hermes in the South Atlantic on May 1, 1982.

☆ It just got easier for defrauded student-loan borrowers to apply for debt cancellation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department launched a new website to help defrauded student-loan borrowers apply for debt relief. While this website may ease the application process, many defrauded borrowers continue to wait for relief. Approval of those claims means the department will discharge any debt the student took out to attend the school in question. It includes information on reasons borrowers apply for borrower defense, what type of misconduct qualifies for debt relief, specific details on information borrowers should include in their claims, and what happens after a borrower applies. A section of Federal Student Aid's new borrower defense website detailing information to include in a claim.

☆ Transitioning millions of student-loan borrowers back into repayment this year will be a 'huge undertaking,' Biden's Education Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Federal Student Aid's 2022 annual report said that resuming student-loan payments this year will be a "huge undertaking." It cited the unprecedented nature of Biden's broad debt relief and extensions of the payment pause. The agency said it will improve customer service, but borrowers are continuing to struggle with their loan servicers. But it also noted changes that came from Biden's announcement in August to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers making under $125,000 a year. Insider previously reported on hours-long hold times some borrowers were experiencing when trying to get help from MOHELA, a company currently involved in one of the lawsuits seeking to block Biden's broad debt relief.

☆ 3 signs Biden's Education Department has not 'efficiently or effectively' taken steps to overhaul the student-loan repayment system, according to the inspector general
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Education Department plans to revamp the student-loan servicing system. But a report from the Inspector General found it has not been preparing to do so effectively. Last week, the Education Department's Office of Inspector General released a report analyzing Federal Student Aid's (FSA) efforts to transition the current repayment system to a new one, known as Next Generation (Next Gen) Loan Servicing. Additionally, it recommends that FSA develop a policy that requires a budget request be completed and approved prior to moving forward with any changes to the student-loan servicing system. The exact timeline for when borrowers will experience the revamped student-loan servicing system is unclear at this point, especially as the administration is working to implement other significant changes.

☆ Why Singapore isn't imposing new travel rules on visitors from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

watch nowBut he said travel volumes between Singapore and China are "very low" — with fewer than 1,000 people arriving from China daily. "As of now, we run 38 weekly flights from China to Singapore, compared to around 400 flights pre-Covid," he said. Current rules are effectiveSo far, more than a dozen countries have announced new rules for visitors from China. In the same month, seven imported cases became severely ill, and only one was from China, he said. 'We do not discriminate'Ong noted that while some countries are imposing a pre-departure test requirement on visitors from China, Singapore will "not discriminate because severe cases can originate from any country."

☆ Tech's pandemic hiring boom continues to bust as fintech Plaid adds to mounting layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Barbara Collins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fintech firm Plaid is laying off about 260 employees, adding to a recent wave of cuts from private tech companies. CEO Zach Perret announced the layoffs in a memo sent to staff Wednesday morning, citing macroeconomic challenges throughout the past year. The company currently has more than 1,250 team members in seven offices worldwide, according to the Plaid website. The announcement comes amid a string of layoffs among tech companies, including Meta, Twitter, Lyft and Coinbase, among others. Equity grants for employees with the company for more than a year will be accelerated to a February vesting date.

☆ How to attend 7 weddings across the country in a year and not break your budget, from a 27-year-old who did it on a $50,000 salary
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She says there are plenty of ways to save money on hotels, gifts, dresses, and makeup. It's why she's attended 15 wedding events across the country over roughly the past year, including seven weddings, four bachelorette parties, and four bridal showers. She sometimes feels she has "no excuse" not to attend every wedding, bachelorette party, and shower she's invited to. She was set to attend weddings in New York and Oregon over back-to-back weekends when she decided she needed a break and decided to skip both of them — the only two weddings she's missed this year. But she says she's learned how to budget, save money, and when it gets to be overwhelming, prioritize which weddings she will attend over others.

☆ HBO is No. 1 as 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows: Apple's a big spender and 'there's a sheen when you're a Hulu show,' but there's 'fear in the air' at Netflix
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

"It's definitely been not the most exciting and robust year," said one TV agent at a major agency. Around 70 people at HBO and HBO Max have been let go this year, and their comedy development teams have merged. While WBD doesn't break out streamer-specific figures, it said on Thursday's earnings call that HBO Max, HBO, and Discovery+ have a combined 94.9 million subscribers, ensuring that any show on HBO Max has the chance to get a lot of eyeballs. They'll also take smaller swings in the genre department, do things at a lower budget," said the second TV agent. Echoed the first TV agent: "You pitch and sell to them if no one else wants it."

Best Cyber Monday streaming dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Limited-Time Deal Hulu Cyber Monday Deal (Monthly Price) Hulu offers lots of series, movies, and originals, including "Bob's Burgers," "Prey," and "The Handmaid's Tale." Deal Peacock Premium Black Friday Deal (Monthly Price) Now through November 28, new subscribers can lock in a year of Peacock Premium for $1/month. $1.99 from HBO Max Originally $9.99 Save 80%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal Discovery Plus Cyber Monday Deal (Monthly Price) Whether you're a fan pimple popping, house flipping, explorative cooking, or ghost hunting, Discovery Plus has a series that will keep you hooked.

Aside from Prime Day, this is the best time of year to purchase a KitchenAid mixer. Cyber Monday KitchenAid deals: Top discountsKitchenAid: Up to $200 off stand mixers, $50 off attachments, and $120 off other small appliances. Up to $200 off stand mixers, $50 off attachments, and $120 off other small appliances. Great Price KitchenAid 7-Quart Pro Line Stand Mixer The KitchenAid Pro Line Series 7-Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer is the largest, most powerful KitchenAid mixer you can buy without venturing into commercial models, which makes it perfect for avid bakers. Deal KitchenAid 5-quart Artisan Series Stand Mixer, with Fresh Prep Attachment Bundle One of the best deals we've seen on KitchenAid stand mixers is this bundle, which combines a 5 quart Artisan mixer with food processing attachments.

Through November 28, new members can lock in a full year of Hulu's ad-supported plan for only $2 a month. The service just increased its ad-supported price in October, so this Cyber Monday deal is a great chance to snag an entire year of service at a rare, low rate. How to get Hulu's Cyber Monday 2022 dealIn order to get Hulu's Cyber Monday deal, you need to either be a new or eligible returning Hulu member. Limited-Time Deal Hulu Cyber Monday Deal (Monthly Price) Hulu offers lots of series, movies, and originals, including "Bob's Burgers," "Prey," and "The Handmaid's Tale." The bundle combines subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN+ for a starting price of $14 a month.

We usually see tons of deals on small appliances during the shopping holiday, including the crowning jewel: the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Aside from Prime Day, this is the best time of year to purchase a KitchenAid mixer. Black Friday KitchenAid deals: Top discountsKitchenAid: Up to $200 off stand mixers, $50 off attachments, and $120 off other small appliances. Best Black Friday KitchenAid mixer dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal KitchenAid 5-quart Artisan Series Stand Mixer, with Fresh Prep Attachment Bundle One of the best deals we've seen on KitchenAid stand mixers is this bundle, which combines a 5 quart Artisan mixer with food processing attachments.

☆ These are the best Black Friday streaming deals from Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Streaming is getting more expensive, but there are still some good deals to be had this Black Friday. From Amazon to HBO, there are a number of offers available if you want to catch up on "House of the Dragon" or finally watch "The Handmaid's Tale." The offer is available to new subscribers, as well as past subscribers who haven't been members for at least the past month. Prime Video — $1.99 for select channelsSopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesSubscribers to Amazon Prime already receive Prime Video included with their membership. Disney Plus — Get a full year for $79Thiago Prudencio | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images

☆ Streaming services are down to all-time low prices for Black Friday — check out the best deals on Paramount Plus, HBO Max, Discovery Plus, and more
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Sarah Saril | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Best Black Friday streaming dealsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $1.99 from HBO Max Originally $9.99 Save 80%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal Discovery Plus Black Friday Deal (Monthly Price) Whether you're a fan pimple popping, house flipping, explorative cooking, or ghost hunting, Discovery Plus has a series that will keep you hooked. $24.99 from Paramount Plus Originally $49.99 Save 50%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Limited-Time Deal Paramout Plus Premium Black Friday Deal (Annual Plan) Now through November 27, new and returning subscribers can get 50% off an annual plan of Paramount Plus.

☆ Billionaires like Elon Musk want to save civilization by having tons of genetically superior kids. Inside the movement to take 'control of human evolution.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Julia Black | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +40 min

"We are the Underground Railroad of 'Gattaca' babies and people who want to do genetic stuff with their kids," Malcolm told me. Ellison, meanwhile, who has two children in their 30s, has reportedly resumed having kids — with his 31-year-old girlfriend. "The person of this subculture really sees the pathway to immortality as being through having children," Simone said. The person of this subculture really sees the pathway to immortality as being through having children. Before she met Malcolm, Simone was convinced she wanted to live her life single and child-free.

☆ Amy Coney Barrett joked about abortion rights protesters to a room of right-wing lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

While there, she joked that the applause she received was nicer than hearing pro-choice protesters. Barrett's vote solidified the majority that overturned Roe v Wade and limited abortion rights. As the most recent appointee to the nation's highest court, Barrett's vote solidified the conservative court majority that overturned Roe v Wade and limited abortion rights across the nation. Trump-nominated Barrett was also the only woman on the court to vote to roll back the protections offered by Roe. Representatives for the Supreme Court did not immediately return Insider's requests for comment.

☆ 'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 5 finale recap: 'Safe' signals it's time to begin chugging toward the show's end
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Review Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers about “The Handmaid’s Tale” Season 5 finale, “Safe.”CNN —“The Handmaid’s Tale” certainly doesn’t suffer from a lack of media exposure or cultural capital, with recent turns in the battle over abortion rights generating regular references in progressive circles to the threat of America becoming Gilead, the repressive patriarchal society featured in Margaret Atwood’s novel. Appropriately, the finale wrapped up aboard a train, because while the show didn’t quite go off the rails, it at times seemed to come perilously close. Ultimately, the last episode, “Safe,” reunited the two characters whose bond — forged in pain and hatred — completely defined Season 5. A gruesome attack on June and botched military operation to recover the lost girls, underscored that this is indeed a war, with casualties as the inevitable byproduct. “And then it was too f**kin’ late.”In that moment, anyway, “The Handmaid’s Tale” offered a riveting reminder of what made the series such an Emmy-winning sensation when it began.

☆ 14 TV insiders rank the streamers where they want to sell shows now as Apple TV+ closes in on HBO Max amid turmoil at Warner Bros. Discovery
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Elaine Low | Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

☆ Hulu insiders are confused and frustrated about their future as Disney and Comcast battle it out for control of the streamer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Lucia Moses | Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Sparring between Disney and Comcast CEOs over Hulu has stoked uncertainty among insiders about the streamer's future. Many wonder how Hulu will stay differentiated from Disney+ if Disney becomes Hulu's sole owner. Insiders and advertisers alike are also watching to see if Hulu will lose some of its distinctiveness as Disney invests more in Disney+. "That was a clear departure from Disney being family-focused and Hulu being general entertainment," said a second former Hulu exec. And as the CEOs posture, people inside the streamer are eager for leadership to tell them, as a third former company insider put it, "what Hulu means to the Walt Disney Company."

☆ Millions at risk of losing health insurance if U.S. ends Covid public health emergency in January
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

The Health and Human Services Department will give the public 60 days notice before lifting the public health emergency, Becerra said. The health emergency also allowed millions of people to receive increased food benefits through the federal government's nutrition program. When the public health emergency does end, HHS estimates up to 15 million people will be disenrolled from Medicare and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Millions to lose Medicaid coverageThe most dramatic impact from ending the public health emergency will fall on people enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Trump administration Health Secretary Alex Azar activated the FDA's emergency authorization powers in March 2020, about two months after first declaring the public health emergency.

☆ Haiti gang blockade is causing catastrophic hunger, U.N. officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We have for the first time a famine present in Haiti," Ulrika Richardson, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the U.N. system in Haiti, said in a telephone interview. A U.N. spokesperson later clarified that Richardson should have described the situation as catastrophic hunger rather than famine. Richardson said other countries need to do more to support Haiti, as the Caribbean country's humanitarian response plan for this year has received less then 30% of the required funding. The situation was "close to breaking point", Jean-Martin Bauer, World Food Program country director in Haiti, told reporters earlier. U.S. development agency USAID on Friday sent a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Haiti, the agency's chief, Samantha Power, wrote on Twitter.

☆ Disney and Hulu salaries revealed: Pay data show how much the Hollywood giant recently offered for jobs across divisions
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Elaine Low | Colin Salao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Disney+ accounts for 152 million subs, while Hulu has 46.2 million and ESPN+ has 22.8 million. Public work-visa data show Disney offers $93,150 to $242,000 for some jobs at Hulu and other units. Its flagship streaming service Disney+ alone accounts for more than more than 152 million subscribers, gaining on Netflix's 221 million. To see what Disney and Hulu pay for certain jobs, Insider analyzed recent work-visa disclosures. Most of the roles were tech jobs, including data scientist and software engineer roles.

Organizations: & $

☆ Girls Who Code founder speaks out after Pennsylvania school district bans her books: 'This is about controlling women and it starts with controlling our girls'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani is speaking out after her company's book series was banned from a Pennsylvania school district. The books were just added to PEN America's Index of School Book Bans, a list of restricted literature around the country. "This is about controlling women and it starts with controlling our girls and what info they have access to," Saujani told Insider. "This is about controlling women and it starts with controlling our girls and what info they have access to." "This is opportunity to start more clubs, get more girls to code, and get more girls to become economically free."

☆ Analysis: 'The Handmaid's Tale' gets a new season
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( Analysis Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Gone are the days when you had to wait week by week for a hit show's new episodes. Three things to watch'The Handmaid's Tale" Season 5Yvonne Strahovski as Serena Joy Waterford is shown in a scene from the fifth season of "The Handmaid's Tale." 'Atlanta' Season 4Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks in a scene from season four of "Atlanta." If you watched the show's third season earlier this year, you either loved it or hated it. Death Cab for Cutie "talked about past relationships, failed relationships, our parents' relationships, and relationships that have lasted forever."

Check out the trailer for 'The Handmaid's Tale' season 5"The Handmaid's Tale" has received numerous awards, including an Emmy for outstanding drama series in 2017, and a Golden Globe for best drama series in 2018. How to watch 'The Handmaid's Tale'You can watch "The Handmaid's Tale"s season five on Hulu starting September 14. In addition to the new season, you can also watch seasons one through four of "The Handmaid's Tale" on Hulu. Will season 5 of 'The Handmaid's Tale' be the last season? "The Handmaid's Tale" season five will not be the show's last season.

Search resuls for: "Aid's"

25 mentions found