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☆ Hush-money texts reveal tawdry bidding war over a porn star, a Playboy model, and their tales of Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"Every single time I talked to Michael Cohen, he leaned on his close affiliation with Donald Trump," Davidson testified. Advertisement"It was part of his identity," the lawyer told jurors of Cohen. When Daniels' lawyer responded "Yup," the Enquirer editor responded, "I reckon that trump[sic] impersonator I hired has more cash." At another point, Cohen claimed the Trump Organization computer systems were, "quote, all fucked up," Davidson told the jury. "I called him and said, Michael, this is a very bad situation," he said he told Cohen.

Persons: —, Donald Trump —, Playboy Bunny, Keith Davidson, Bunny Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Melania Trump, Trump, Davidson, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Daniels, Donald Trump, Dylan Howard, texted, Ethan Miller, Raymond Hall, Joshua Steinglass, Yom Kippur, Michael, Steinglass, he's, Karen McDougal, Playboy Bunny —, Howard, McDougal, Davidson — Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, National Enquirer, Manhattan DA, Getty, Trump Organization, Enquirer, National, GOP Locations: LA

☆ Europe may need to impose tariffs of up to 55% to curb Chinese EV imports: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Vehicles set to be shipped to Europe, at Taicang Port on Dec. 19, 2022, in Suzhou, China. The European Union will need to levy higher-than-expected tariffs of up to 55% on Chinese electric vehicles to curb their imports into the bloc, according to a new analysis by Rhodium Group. The findings, released Monday, come amid the EU's ongoing anti-subsidy investigation into EV imports from China. Rhodium Group, which expects the EU to impose tariffs in the 15% to 30% range on Chinese EVs, said those tariffs were unlikely to be enough to check competition from China. Chinese EV makers are locked in an intense price war in their home market.

Persons: Tesla Organizations: Taicang Port, European, Group, EV, EU Locations: Europe, Taicang, Suzhou, China

A general view of the atmosphere during The SDI Takeover @ Dave & Buster's in Los Angeles on June 23, 2022Arcade giant Dave & Buster's is taking its games to a new level by offering social wagering on its app. Customers can soon make a friendly $5 wager on a Hot Shots basketball game, a bet on a Skee-Ball competition or on another arcade game. Dave & Buster's, started in 1982, now has more than 222 venues in North America, offering everything from bowling to laser tag, plus virtual reality. The company says it has five million loyalty members and 30 million unique visitors to its locations each year. "We're thrilled to work with Lucra to bring this exciting new gaming platform to our customers,"said Simon Murray, senior vice president of entertainment and attractions at Dave & Buster's.

Persons: Buster's, We're, Lucra, Simon Murray, Dylan Robbins, Michael Madding, Robbins, Madding, Goldman Sachs, Marc Lasry, John Isner, Julie, Zach Ertz Organizations: SDI, Stanford Graduate School, Business, Raptor, SeventySix, Dupr, @ & ' Locations: Los Angeles, North America

☆ Lawyer for Stormy Daniels Exposes Seamy Underside of Celebrity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The tantalizing text message was sent by a lawyer for a former Playboy model to the editor of The National Enquirer. “I have blockbuster Trump story,” read the message sent in 2016 by the Los Angeles lawyer, Keith Davidson, who was on the witness stand as prosecutors posted it Tuesday morning for jurors at Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial. The editor, Dylan Howard, asked in response: “did he cheat.”The texts were an evocative beginning to testimony that laid bare the seamy ways celebrity scandal is leveraged and sold. In this case, it was a deal negotiated by Mr. Davidson for Karen McDougal, the model, who wanted to rejuvenate her career by leveraging her story of a romantic affair with Mr. Trump. She has said the liaison began in 2006 after he was already married to his current wife, Melania.

Persons: “, ”, Keith Davidson, Donald J, Dylan Howard, Davidson, Karen McDougal, Trump, Melania Organizations: National Enquirer, Los, Mr Locations: Los Angeles

CNN —Judge Juan Merchan handed down his first punishment to Donald Trump for violating the judge’s gag order in the New York hush money trial Tuesday, fining Trump $9,000 for nine violations. Instead, Davidson negotiated a $130,000 hush money deal with Cohen on Daniels’ behalf, and she did not speak out publicly before the 2016 election. In his order, the judge warned Trump that he could be imprisoned if he continues to willfully violate the gag order. “All you have to do is talk to that a**hole Cohen,” Davidson recalled. His son, Eric Trump, attended the trial – the first family member of the former president to appear during the trial.

Persons: Juan Merchan, Donald Trump, fining, Daniels, Karen McDougal, Keith Davidson, Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Davidson, Cohen, Trump, –, Merchan, David Pecker, “, ” Merchan, Stormy’s, McDougal, ’, Dylan Howard –, Gina Rodriguez, “ It’s, ” Davidson, Rodriguez, Peggy Peterson, David Dennison, Joshua Steinglass, Dennison, ” Steinglass, ” Cohen, Gary Farro, Daniels ’, Farro, ” Trump, “ Michael Cohen, He’s, Judge Merchan didn't, Jean Carroll, Prosecutors, Melania Trump, Eric Trump, Susie Wiles, Ken Paxton, David McIntosh, Barron’s Organizations: CNN, fining Trump, Trump, AMI, Prosecutors, American Media Inc, Daniels . Records, Bank, Twitter, Club for Growth, Mar Locations: New York, LA, Texas

☆ Asia was most impacted by extreme weather and climate in 2023, UN report shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Sarote Pruksachat | Moment | Getty ImagesAsia was the most disaster-hit region in the world last year as extreme weather and climate threats intensified amid global warming, according to the World Meteorological Organization, the UN's weather agency. According to a NASA report, increased temperatures are associated with variations in precipitation and increased frequency of both drought and extreme water events. watch nowWhile WMO found that much of Asia suffered from a substantial lack of precipitation in 2023, there were also many extreme weather events associated with heavy rainfall and flooding. The WMO report noted that a lack of rainfall could also have detrimental effects on drinking water sources, agriculture, industry, and hydropower. Authors of the report argued the data confirms the need for early warning systems for extreme weather and more disaster risk reduction to mitigate losses and damage caused by climate change in the future.

Persons: Sarote, Celeste Saulo, Saulo, heatstroke Organizations: Asia, World Meteorological Organization, NASA, WMO Locations: Asia, Siberia, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, India, —, Beijing

Learn moreWhen making espresso at home, choosing the best espresso machine can be tricky, and serious espresso drinkers have a reputation for being particular. With its built-in grinder and simplified brewing system, the Café Affetto provides an easy shot of espresso packed with flavor. GE Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine This small but all-encompassing automatic espresso machine pumps out brew that's twice the quality of similar machines' while taking up half the counter space. Of course, the quickest and easiest option is a pod machine, like the Nespresso CitiZ Original Espresso Machine. Dylan Ettinger/InsiderThe Café Affetto works as advertised — the built-in grinder and straightforward controls make brewing espresso as easy as pushing a button.

Persons: Affetto, Dylan Ettinger, Read Organizations: Business, GE, Breville, Express, Machine Locations: Jura, Sur

☆ Trump feared for campaign, not family, as sex scandals were caught and killed, ex-Enquirer CEO tells hush-money jury
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When a porn star and Playboy Bunny both came forward, Trump feared for voters, not family, Pecker told jurors. Then, in swift succession and with the 2016 election just months away, a Playboy Bunny and a porn star appeared with more sex scandals. But in the months before the 2016 election, all Trump worried about was his voters, Pecker testified on his third day on the stand. "I thought his concern was with the campaign," Pecker added. Pecker told jurors he had been investigated by California officials for just this sort of thing more than a decade before Trump's 2016 campaign.

Persons: David Pecker, Playboy Bunny, Trump, Pecker, —, Donald Trump, Dino Sajudin, Bunny Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Steinglass, Daniels, Michael Cohen, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Dylan Howard, Trump's, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnold, Howard, Howard texted, Cohen, Karen, McDougal, Michael, Jeff Sessions Organizations: National Enquirer, Service, Trump, Enquirer, Trump Organization, Attorney, American Media International, AMI, Prosecutors, McDougal's, Federal, Commission Locations: Manhattan, California, Australia

☆ Stormy Daniels’s Attempt to Sell Her Story Began the Road to Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | More About Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Stormy Daniels tried to benefit from Donald J. Trump’s political momentum in early 2016, setting off the saga that ultimately resulted in his criminal trial. Mr. Howard thought her story had little value because it had already been written about on a gossip site in 2011. At the time, she had publicly denied the encounter. A month before the presidential election, her story’s value suddenly increased. On Oct. 7, 2016, The Washington Post published a recording of Mr. Trump on the set of “Access Hollywood” talking about groping women.

Persons: Stormy Daniels, Donald J, Dylan Howard, Trump, Daniels, Howard Organizations: National Enquirer, Washington Post Locations: Lake Tahoe, Nev

☆ The Next Winner of the World Chess Championship Could Be the Youngest Ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Dylan Loeb Mcclain | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Dommaraju Gukesh, a 17-year-old Indian grandmaster, made history on Sunday: He won the Candidates Tournament in Toronto, held to select the challenger for the World Chess Championship in the classical time control. With that achievement, he became the youngest player ever to qualify for the title match. Garry Kasparov, the former world champion, previously held the record; he became the challenger for the crown in 1983 at age 20. “The way that I handled myself during the event and the way that I played my games — it was really something that I am happy about,” he said. It will be a best-of-14 match, with a minimum prize fund of 2 million euros (about $2.1 million).

Persons: Dommaraju, Garry Kasparov, Gukesh, ”, ” Mr, Ding Liren Organizations: Chess Federation Locations: Toronto, China

☆ Former National Enquirer boss reveals sleazy tactics the tabloid used to protect Donald Trump and smear his rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But on Tuesday, former National Enquirer boss David Pecker lifted the curtain on the actual media collusion that took place in the 2016 election. Pecker revealed in granular detail how Trump worked hand-in-hand with the infamous national tabloid to boost his candidacy and, perhaps far more importantly, simultaneously smear his political opponents with shameful lies and innuendo. Meanwhile, Pecker worked with Cohen to smear Trump’s Republican rivals in the 2016 primary, including Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. At times, Pecker said that Cohen went as far as to contact him and direct the Enquirer to attack Trump’s GOP rivals. When the Enquirer published negative stories about Bill and Hillary Clinton, Pecker said that Trump was elated.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, “, ” Pecker, Michael Cohen, Karen McDougal’s, ”, Dino Sajudin, Cohen, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, “ Michael Cohen, — Michael Cohen —, Hillary Clinton, Dylan Howard, we’re, Rupert Murdoch’s, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: New York CNN, Democratic Party, National Enquirer, Trump Organization, Trump, GOP, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, MAGA Media, Fox, Fox News Locations: New York, Pecker, Manhattan

☆ SoftBank will reportedly invest nearly $1 billion in AI push, tapping Nvidia's chips
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Signage at a SoftBank Corp. store in the Ginza district of Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank is looking to develop a "world-class" Japanese-language-specific generative artificial intelligence model, and plans to invest $960 million in the next two years to bolster its computing facilities, according to a Nikkei report. Training of large language models (LLM), such as OpenAI's Chat GPT, requires advanced graphics processing units, which SoftBank plans to purchase from U.S. chip giant Nvidia , the Nikkei reported Monday, citing anonymous sources. The investment of 150 billion yen ($960 million) will be spent in 2024 and 2025 and adds to 20 billion yen that SoftBank spent on computing infrastructure last year, the report said. According to another report from Nikkei Asia, Japan lacks private companies with the high-performance supercomputers that are needed to build LLM, despite increased interest in the tech.

Persons: SoftBank Organizations: SoftBank Corp, Nikkei, Nvidia Locations: Ginza, Tokyo, Japan, U.S, Nikkei Asia

☆ Global energy transition will require $4 trillion annually by next decade, BlackRock says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Brendan McDermid | ReutersBlackRock estimates that the world's green energy transition will require $4 trillion annually by the mid-2030s, calling for more public-private partnerships, especially in Asia-Pacific. The forecast comes from BlackRock's latest "Investment Institute Transition Scenario," which analyzes how the low-carbon transition is most likely to play out and its potential impact on portfolios. The $4 trillion figure is double previous expectations of $2 trillion annually, and will require increases in both public and private sector capital, according to Michael Dennis, head of APAC Alternatives Strategy & Capital Markets at BlackRock. Last year, $1.8 trillion was invested into projects related to the energy transition, up from $33 billion in 2004 with about $19 trillion invested to date, according to data compiled by BlackRock. "However, while the investment has grown, there's still an $18 trillion gap to get to where we need to by 2030," he added.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Michael Dennis, Dennis, there's Organizations: Reuters BlackRock, Investment, Capital Markets, BlackRock Locations: BlackRock, New York City, Asia, U.S

☆ China is still years behind the U.S. despite Huawei's breakthrough chips, Raimondo tells '60 Minutes'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Sunday downplayed Huawei Technologies' latest microchip breakthrough, arguing the U.S. remains far ahead of China in the critical technology. The comments, made on CBS News' "60 Minutes," are in line with the Commerce secretary's stance that the Biden administration's restrictions on chip sales to China are working, despite an advanced made-in-China chip surfacing in a Huawei phone last year. The phone launched while Raimondo was on a visit to China. "I have their attention, clearly," she said, adding the U.S. would continue to pursue actions to protect U.S. national security and businesses. According to a senior Commerce Department official, Huawei's chipmaking partner SMIC "potentially" violated U.S. law by providing an advanced chip to the Chinese phone maker.

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Joe Biden, We've, Raimondo, Huawei's, SMIC Organizations: Semiconductors, America, White, Huawei Technologies, CBS, Commerce, Biden, Huawei, U.S ., Commerce Department Locations: WASHINGTON, DC, Washington , DC, U.S, China, United States, U.S . U.S

☆ Opinion: Shaking off the Trump effect
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. CNN —“We are most deeply asleep at the switch,” wrote Annie Dillard, “when we fancy we control any switches at all. When the Senate voted to send new aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan two months ago, House Speaker Mike Johnson took no action. With the help of Democrats, the House approved aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Saturday. Writing for CNN Opinion, he emphasized that there are legal principles that require universities to prohibit expressions of antisemitism.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Annie Dillard, “, time’s, —, Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Sleepy Joe ”, Israel, Johnson, MAGA, Julian Zelizer, Walt Handelsman, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, Kevin McCarthy’s, Clay Jones, Fareed Zakaria, Alejandro Mayorkas, “ Biden, ” Zakaria, Bill Clinton, ” Trump, Jack Ohman, Agency Donald Trump’s, dozed, Elliot Williams, Patrick T, Brown, …, ‘, ’, Attorney Alvin Bragg, ” Will, Jeffrey Abramson, ” “, Norm Eisen, Stormy Daniels, ” Eisen, Michael Cohen, Elie Honig, Frida Ghitis, Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Lisa Benson, GoComics.com Peter Bergen, Daniel R, DePetris, Dean Obeidallah, Susanne DeWitt, ” David Schizer, ” Schizer, Danielle Campoamor, Caitlin Clark, Simone Biles, Campoamor, Latika Bourke, John Howard, Justin J, Pearson, Winston Churchill, Holly Thomas, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak’s, It’s, ” Thomas, YouGov, ” Don’t, Drew Sheneman, Agency David M, Perry, Frankie de la, Angel Reese, Roy Schwartz, Joni Mitchell —, Raul A, Reyes, Sonia Sotomayor, Jules Boykoff, Jaime M, Valiathan, Ed Manning, Sara Stewart, Noah Berlatsky, Taylor Swift Amy Bass, Taylor Swift, Swift, Department ”, ” Bass, “ Swift, Joe, Alwyn, Diana, they’re, Clara Bow, Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith — Organizations: CNN, Republicans, MAGA Republicans, Agency, Congress, Biden, Homeland, National Guard, ‘, Manhattan, Attorney, New York Democrats, Twitter, Facebook, New York Times, Trump, Berkeley, Nazism, Columbia, Nike, Team USA, Sydney, Port, Conservative, Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Central Press, Hulton, National Health Service, WNBA, Ungentlemanly, Department Locations: Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Manhattan, Iran, Russia, China, ‘, New, CNN Iran, “ Israel, Gaza, Israeli, Damascus, Iraq, America, Dearborn, Nazi Germany, Berkeley , California, Berkeley, East Bay, Sydney, Port Arthur, Tennessee, Surrey, Croydon, Quebec, Britain, Vancouver, London, Welsh

☆ From The Blue Nile to Charlie Puth, here are all the artists named in Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Dylan ThomasSwift also makes a reference to Dylan Thomas, the famed Welsh poet. In the chorus of her song, Swift sings: "I laughed in your face and said/ 'You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith/ This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots'/ And who's gonna hold you like me?" Thomas, who is known for his poem, "Do not go gentle into that good night," frequented The Hotel Chelsea in New York City and lived there with his wife before his death in 1953, according to a website about the poet run by his family. The hotel was where Thomas worked on one of his final pieces before he was hospitalized and died. A plaque outside the hotel was erected about a decade after Thomas' death, commemorating that he "lived and labored last here at the Chelsea Hotel and from here sailed out to die."

Persons: Dylan Thomas Swift, Dylan Thomas, Swift, I'm, Patti Smith, Thomas Organizations: Chelsea Locations: Welsh, Chelsea, New York City

☆ Critical mineral mining is key to the green transition, but experts warn reputational risks remain
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesMining of critical minerals plays a crucial role in the global green transition, but the broader industry's bad reputation and other challenges present investment barriers, industry experts warn. Critical minerals include metals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, and are important components in emerging green technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehicles. Speaking on a panel at Singapore's annual Ecosperity Week, which ended Wednesday, mining industry experts and investors said the growing demand from green tech makes it necessary to increase government support and capital flows into the critical mining sector. Many of the same companies that mine critical minerals also mine environmentally damaging fossil fuels like coal. One area that has seen recent strides and investments has been in the recycling of critical minerals, which cuts down the need of extraction.

Persons: Adam Matthews, Dominic Barton, Barton, Scott Clements Organizations: PT Vale, Getty Images, Global Investor Commission, Mining, Royal Bank of Canada, Rio Tinto, LeapFrog Investments, International Renewable Energy Agency, EV, World Bank, Tribeca Capital Locations: PT Vale Indonesia, China, Paris, Rio, Indonesia's Sulawesi, Rio Tinto, Western Australia

☆ Opinion: How Taylor Swift’s new album is an extended family affair for me
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Opinion Amy Bass | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Friday’s midnight release of “The Tortured Poets Department,” Taylor Swift’s 11th album, means that yet another era has begun — and a record-breaking one at that. I am one of them, and the anticipation — along with the revelry — has been an extended family affair. Swifties dug into Taylor math, which often revolves around the number 13, the date of her December birthday. Check out the erratic capitalization of track 24, “Thank you Aimee” if you doubt that Swift is masterminding it all. Maybe wherever they land, there is a seminar on Taylor Swift.

Persons: Amy Bass, Read, CNN —, ” Taylor, Swifties, Travis Kelce, Rodney Bedsole, Hannah, Sarah, Maggie, Def Leppard, Harry Styles, Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, —, Swift, “, ”, Lin, Manuel Miranda’s Alexander Hamilton, Joe Alwyn, Swift’s, Alwyn, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, John ”, Jake Gyllenhaal, Aaron Dessner, Gyllenhaal, Jack Antonoff, Diana, they’re, Dylan Thomas, Matty Healy, TTPD ”, Alwyn —, Aimee ”, ” Swift, Taylor Swift Organizations: Manhattanville University, CNN, Poets Department, Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor, Gillette, Def, Department, Machine, nab, Spotify Locations: New York, …, Vancouver, —, British, Great Britain, Lexington, Concord, London, Harvard’s Taylor, Los Angeles, New

☆ TSMC's stalled Arizona chip factory is 'well on track' to start production next year — and it'll be charging more for US-made chips
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Last year, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company reported its first profit decline in four years. The company said engineering wafer production began at the factory in April, an important step toward the eventual chip production. Last July, TSMC announced that chip production for the first factory would be postponed from 2024 to 2025. Barring further setbacks, TSMC's update could mean the first factory will begin production of chips in 2025. This funding could be particularly important for TSMC, given the cost of factory construction and chip manufacturing can differ between the US and Taiwan.

Persons: —, TSMC, Biden, Joe Biden, — TSMC, Dylan Patel, SemiAnalysis, that's, Morris Chang, C.C, Wei Organizations: Service, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Business, Biden, Financial Times Locations: Taiwan, Arizona, Phoenix, Japan, Germany

☆ A Brief Guide to Who’s Who on Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Madison Malone Kircher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When Taylor Swift released “The Tortured Poets Department,” on Friday at midnight, her fan base quickly got to work decoding the album, looking for layers of meaning and insight into Ms. Swift’s life. Of course, that includes the pop singer’s romantic history. Like many of her past works, the songs on this album — which features over a dozen additional tracks as part of an extended album called “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology” — are laden with names and references, many of which appear to be to real people from Ms. Swift’s universe and the literary canon. At least two poets, Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith, are mentioned. Here’s a look at some of those characters.

Persons: Taylor Swift, ”, Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith, Matty Healy Organizations: Poets Department

☆ Tim Cook visits Singapore amid Apple's Southeast Asia expansion efforts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., center, arrives at Apple Developer Academy at Binus University in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Apple's Tim Cook is in Singapore for the latest leg of his whirlwind tour around Southeast Asia as the CEO pivots toward the region for expansion and sales growth amid struggles in China. Cook's arrival in the city follows Apple's announcement of plans to invest over $250 million into its operations in Singapore. While the tech giant already employs 3,600 people in the country, Apple said the expansion will provide space for new roles, including in artificial intelligence. Apple did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment about Cook's itinerary.

Persons: Tim Cook, Apple's Tim Cook, Cook, Cook's, Lawrence Wong, Lee Hsien Loong, Lee, Wong, Apple, Joko Widodo Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple Developer Academy, Binus University, Bloomberg, Apple, CNBC Locations: Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, Singapore, Southeast Asia, China, state's, Cupertino , California, Vietnam

☆ Eco-friendly data centers help drive $6.3 billion of green investment in Southeast Asia, but report shows more needed
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The analysis, conducted by Bain & Company, GenZero, Standard Chartered and Temasek, found that $6.3 billion of green investments flowed into the region, representing a 21% year-on-year increase. Last year, Malaysia attracted large-scale green financing of over $500 million for at least two data centers, according to the Monday report. watch nowThe move came after the Singaporean government unveiled a sustainability standard for data centers operating in tropical climates. Despite these efforts, Singapore's overall green investments fell in 2023 to $0.9 billion from $1.2 billion a year prior. Green investment towards power in the region fell by 14% year-over-year for the second year in a row.

Persons: Singapore —, Kimberly Tan, GenZero's Tan Organizations: Istock, Getty, Bain & Company, GenZero, Chartered, International Energy Agency, Singapore Locations: Asia, Temasek, Malaysia, Singapore

Hondo Underwood is a former car thief. Underwood speaks with Business Insider about methods of breaking into vehicles, such as relay theft. He talks about what it's like to be in high-speed car chases and play cat and mouse with the police. He also notes the models of cars he stole, including Chevrolets and Ford pickup trucks, and discusses the realism of car theft in movies and games like "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "Grand Theft Auto." Underwood, a Marine Corps veteran, was ordered to complete a rehabilitation program by a Colorado Veterans Treatment Court.

Persons: Hondo Underwood, Underwood Organizations: Marine Corps, Colorado Veterans Treatment, underwood Locations: Denver, Mexico, hondo

☆ China accounted for two-thirds of new global coal plant capacity in 2023, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Dylan Butts | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The world added more coal power capacity last year than any year since 2016, with China driving most growth and future planned capacity, according to new research. A report by Global Energy Monitor released Thursday found that net annual coal capacity grew by 48.4 GW, representing a 2% year-over-year increase. China alone accounted for about two-thirds of new coal plant capacity. Other countries that brought new coal plants online included Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Korea, Greece and Zimbabwe. Coal power capacity, however, continues to steadily grow.

Persons: Champenois Organizations: Global Energy Monitor, GEM Locations: China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Korea, Greece, Zimbabwe, Paris

The U.S. has passed a series of export controls starting in October 2022 aimed at restricting China's access to advanced chip technology, particularly those used in AI applications. According to data from tech consultancy Omdia, China consumes nearly 50% of the world's semiconductors as it is the biggest market for assembling consumer devices. But, soon after, it was reported that Nvidia was working on a new chip made for China. The company did not respond to a request for comment on their plans for the China market. An analysis of Huawei's Mate 60 Pro smartphone by TechInsights revealed an advanced chip made by China's top chip maker, SMIC.

Persons: Wong Yu Liang, Chris Miller, William B, Bailey, Donald Trump, TechInsights Organizations: AMD MU, P Global, Intel, Broadcom, Qualcomm, Marvell Technology, U.S, The, CNBC, Nasdaq, Intelligence, Micron Technology, AMD, Nvidia, Huawei, Semiconductor Industry Association, America's Micron, country's Cyberspace Administration, Micron Locations: China, The U.S, U.S, Washington, Xi'an, Netherlands, Beijing

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