DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Fact Check-Video shows 2017 prescribed fire in Arizona, not Rhodes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A video circulating online shows a prescribed fire conducted by the Arizona Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 2017, not “targeted arson” taking place in Rhodes amidst wildfires on the Greek island in July 2023. A similar video was shared by the Arizona Bureau of Land Management on its Facebook and Twitter pages in March 2017 (here), (here). It shows similar vegetation, the same helicopter, and a dangling torch as seen in the video being shared. Dolores A. Garcia, a representative for Bureau of Land Management at the Arizona State Office, said in an email to Reuters that the video being shared on social media does in fact show 2017 heli-torch operations in northwest Arizona. The video shows a prescribed fire operation conducted by the Arizona Bureau of Land Management in 2017.

Persons: Dolores A, Garcia, ” Garcia, Read Organizations: Arizona Bureau of Land Management, Reuters, Facebook, of Land Management, Arizona State Office, “ Locations: Rhodes, Greece, Arizona, Canada

Worldcoin says 2.2 million have signed up, mostly during a trial period over the last two years. Worldcoin raised $115 million from venture capital investors including Blockchain Capital, a16z crypto, Bain Capital Crypto and Distributed Global in a funding round in May. Macieira said Worldcoin would continue rolling out operations in Europe, Latin America, Africa and "all the parts of the world that will accept us." "The idea is that as we build this infrastructure and that we allow other third parties to use the technology." Michael Will, president of the Bavarian regulator, said it would look into whether Worldcoin's system is "safe and stable".

Persons: Medha Singh, Sam Altman, Worldcoin, Ricardo Macieira, Macieira, Michael Will, Will, Rainer Rehak, Web3, Nette Noestlinger, Matthias Baehr, Elizabeth Howcroft, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: WorldCoin, REUTERS, Reuters, Co, Humanity, Blockchain, Bain Capital Crypto, Companies, Bavarian State Office, Data Protection, Union, Weizenbaum Institute, Worldcoin Foundation, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, India, Britain, France, Germany, Europe, San Francisco, Berlin, Latin America, Africa, Japan, Bavarian, blockchain, Cayman Islands

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - A German data watchdog has been investigating OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's Worldcoin project since late last year due to concerns over its large-scale processing of sensitive biometric data, the regulator's president told Reuters. Will said the Bavarian state regulator is the lead authority investigating Worldcoin under the European Union's data protection rules because Tools For Humanity, the company behind Worldcoin, has a German subsidiary there. This leads to a number of risks, including whether users have given explicit consent to their highly-sensitive biometric data being processed on the basis of "sufficient and clear" information, Will said. Privacy campaigners have long raised concerns about the wide-scale collection and storage of biometric data, which could increase surveillance or target certain demographic groups. France's privacy watchdog told Reuters on Friday that the legality of Worldcoin's data collection "seems questionable".

Persons: Sam Altman's Worldcoin, Worldcoin, Michael Will, Will, Elizabeth Howcroft, Louise Heavens Organizations: Reuters, Bavarian State Office, Data Protection, Humanity, Worldcoin, Thomson Locations: Bavarian, German, Cayman Islands, France, Germany, Spain

☆ Kim Jong Un has plastered his walls with bizarre, giant portraits of Putin, images from North Korean state media reveal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Photos released by North Korean state media show Kim Jong Un's huge portraits of Vladimir Putin. The images show the leader giving Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu a personal tour. The portraits were visible as the North Korean leader gave a personal tour to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. In the bizarre images, Kim and Shoigu can be seen walking down a corridor while huge portraits of Putin and Kim loom over them from either side. Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a reception for the Russian military delegation hosted by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on July 27, 2023.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Putin, Simon Miles, Miles, Biden Organizations: North, Russian, Service, North Korean, Russian Defense, Central Committee of, Workers ' Party, Daily, Russia's, Reuters, Mail, Korean Central News Agency, Associated Press, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, AP Locations: North Korean, Wall, Silicon, Pyongyang, Vladivostok, Russia, North Korea, Soviet, North Koreans, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - France's privacy watchdog CNIL said on Friday it is aware of ChatGPT-founder Sam Altman's Worldcoin project and that the legality of its biometric data collection "seems questionable". CNIL, the French watchdog, said in response to a Reuters question on Worldcoin "The legality of this collection seems questionable, as do the conditions for storing biometric data." The Worldcoin Foundation is a Cayman Islands-based entity which describes itself as a "steward of the Worldcoin protocol". "The Worldcoin Foundation complies with all laws and regulations governing the processing of personal data in the markets where Worldcoin is available," it said. The project is supervised in the European Union by the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision, the Worldcoin Foundation said.

Persons: CNIL, Sam Altman's, Worldcoin, Elizabeth Howcroft, Amanda Cooper, Jane Merriman, Louise Heavens Organizations: Reuters, Bavarian, Worldcoin, European Union, Office, Data Protection, Thomson Locations: Bavarian, Germany, Cayman Islands, European

☆ Opinion | Why California and Florida Have Become Almost Uninsurable
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Wildfires in California and hurricanes in Florida produced lots of claims. The state Office of Insurance Regulation said last year that Florida accounted for 79 percent of the nation’s homeowners insurance lawsuits over claims filed while making up only 9 percent of the nation’s homeowners insurance claims. California is the only state that won’t allow insurers to use rising reinsurance costs to justify rate-hike requests. California’s FAIR Plan, short for Fair Access to Insurance Requirements, is backed by all the insurers licensed to operate in the state. If the FAIR Plan loses money, the state is entitled to assess the private insurers.

Persons: Nancy Watkins, It’s, Rex Frazier, ” Organizations: Howden Tiger, Howden Group Holdings, of Insurance, San, FAIR, Personal Insurance Federation of California Locations: California, Florida, London, Howden, San Francisco

☆ Factbox: From Hawaii to Kentucky, a mix of severe weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Adrees LatifJuly 19 (Reuters) - Severe weather disrupted parts of the United States on Wednesday, with a tropical storm skirting Hawaii, thunderstorms knocking out power in Kentucky and Tennessee and a relentless heat wave stubbornly parked over the Southwest. The zone of extreme heat could expand into the northern Plains and Midwest beginning the middle of next week, the weather service said. TROPICAL STORM, POWER OUTAGESIn the Hawaiian Islands, Tropical Storm Calvin lashed the Big Island on Wednesday with strong winds and heavy downpours as it slowly passed south of the Pacific archipelago. Hawaii Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency, closing all state offices and schools in anticipation of the storm. New York, the most populous city in the United States, was listed on Wednesday morning as No.

Persons: Olivia, Evelyn Black, Adrees Latif, Storm Calvin, Josh Green, Brendan O'Brien, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, National Weather Service, Texas Tribune, Austin, Texas Department, Criminal, Thomson Locations: Fountains, Discovery, Houston , Texas, U.S, United States, Hawaii, Kentucky, Tennessee, Canada, Southern California, San Bernardino , California, Phoenix, San Antonio , Texas, Midwest, TEXAS, Texas, Austin, Hawaiian, Virginia, Carolinas, East Coast, New York, Chicago

☆ Wells Fargo shares rise after second-quarter results beat estimates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wells Fargo beat Wall Street estimates on the top and bottom lines for the second quarter, sending its stock higher in premarket trading Friday. $1.25 in earnings per share vs $1.16 expected$20.53 billion in revenue vs $20.12 billion expectedShares of Wells Fargo rose more than 3% before the bell. Wells Fargo hiked its full-year guidance for net interest income, saying it expected the metric to rise 14% in 2023 instead of the previous projection for 10%. "When you talk about commercial real estate, you're really talking about the office part of commercial real estate, because the rest of the commerical real estate portfolio is performing quite well," Santomassimo said on a media call. Wells Fargo said it spent $4 billion buying back 100.2 million shares during the quarter.

Persons: Wells, Wells Fargo, Charlie Scharf, Mike Santomassimo, Santomassimo Organizations: Wall, Consumer, KBW Locations: Wells Fargo, U.S

MediaNews Group | The Riverside Press-Enterprise via Getty ImagesOf the many acts that can get an Amazon merchant kicked off the site, few are as devastating as selling stolen goods. But suspended sellers, who spent years building their businesses on Amazon, told CNBC they had no idea they were selling stolen products. In an email to CNBC, Amazon said it's working with authorities and doesn't comment "on matters that are the subject of active law enforcement investigations." Tracing the stolen goods supply chainIn tracing the supply chain for suspended sellers, some patterns started to emerge. "Chances are stolen goods or similar ASINs/serial numbers are being bled in to every supply line," the employee wrote.

Persons: Levoit humidifiers, Frank —, Frank, Kenzo Sobrie, Dyson, blenders, they'd, Joe Quinlivan, Sellers, they've, Chris McCabe, Ricky Sala, what's, Sala, he'd, Tien Ngo, Ngo, Stride, Daniel Acker, ASINs, Armen Babayan, illicitly, Babayan, KZ, Juniper, couldn't, Cameron Webb, Kevin Cole, didn't, He's, Sobrie Organizations: MediaNews, Riverside Press, Enterprise, Getty, Amazon, CNBC, Retailers, LG, KZ International, California, Patrol, KZ, CHP, Amazon.com Inc, Amazon Robotics, Bloomberg, Oregon Prep Center, Facebook, FBI, Washington State Office, Ngo Wholesale Distributors, Ngo, Co, Wholesale, Los, Juniper Holdings, Telegram Locations: Eastvale , California, KZ's, Huntington Beach , California, Westborough , Massachusetts, Los Angeles, Miami, The Miami, New York, Washington, Santa Fe Springs, Los Angeles County, Garden Grove, Orange County, California, Huntington Beach, California , Florida, New Jersey

☆ Mozambique "tuna bond" case against Credit Suisse can proceed, UK judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Kirstin Ridley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But he warned: "At trial, all alternatives, including to strike out and in whole or in part, remain available." Credit Suisse, UAE-Lebanese Privinvest and others argued that a lack of "adequate" disclosure jeopardised a fair trial. Under English litigation rules, each party has to disclose documents on which they rely for their case, those that might damage their own case and those that support the case of others. A spokesperson for Credit Suisse said the bank noted the judgment and "continues to defend itself". Credit Suisse agreed to pay about $475 million to British and U.S. authorities in 2021 to resolve bribery and fraud charges and has pledged to forgive $200 million of debt owed by Mozambique.

Persons: Robin Knowles, SISE, Privinvest, Kirstin Ridley, Rachel Savage, Sam Tobin, Conor Humphries Organizations: Credit Suisse, Privinvest, International Monetary Fund, Mozambican, UBS, Lawyers, Thomson Locations: London, Mozambican, Mozambique, UAE, Lebanese, Swiss, U.S, United States

CNN —A candidate from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won a local leadership post for the first time on Sunday in a resounding victory for a group whose anti-migrant, Euroskeptic and anti-Muslim agenda is under surveillance by German authorities. The AfD’s Robert Sesselmann triumphed over incumbent Jürgen Köpper of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party to become district administrator of Sonneberg, in Thuringia, central Germany, at the weekend. “Unfortunately, it has not been a personal election as state elections have always been, it has become a pure party election,” he said. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party’s chairwoman Saskia Esken called the AfD victory in Sonneberg a “political dam-break” on Monday. Even though the move doesn’t apply to parent party AfD, it revealed a growing segment of young Germans united by extreme views on migration and anti-feminism.

Persons: Robert Sesselmann, Jürgen Köpper, Sesselmann, Köpper, ”, Olaf Scholz’s, Saskia Esken, Ricarda Lang, ” Lang, Mario Czaja, Steffen Hebestreit, ” Hebestreit, ‘, BfV, Martin Schutt, Hans Vorländer, ” Vorländer, Alice Weidel Organizations: CNN, Christian Democratic Union, CDU, Office, Statistics, Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic, Green Party, Getty Locations: Germany, Thuringia, Thuringian, Sonneberg, Ukraine, Dresden, Berlin “, Saxony

CNN —Archaeologists have found an octagonal sword dating from more than 3,000 years ago at a burial site in the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. The sword is so well preserved that it still gleams, according to a statement from the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments. Bayerisches Landesamt für DenkmalpflegeIt was discovered last week at a site in Donau-Ries, and researchers believe it was left in the grave as a burial gift. The sword is thought to date to the end of the 14th century BCE, the Middle Bronze Age. A sword like this, with an octagonal handle made entirely from bronze, is a rare find, according to the statement.

Persons: ”, Mathias Pfeil, — Organizations: CNN —, Bavarian, Office, Archaeologists Locations: Bavaria, Germany, Donau, Ries

☆ The Fierce, Flourishing World of Battle Rap
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Ben Barzilai | Christopher Lee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the eastern edge of Bedford-Stuyvesant — a Brooklyn neighborhood synonymous with hip-hop excellence — a tiny wellness center is tucked between a Pentecostal church and a real estate office. On certain nights, one could be excused for thinking this is a waiting room and not what it actually is: a battleground. Here, in this unassuming room, the Trap NY — one of several battle rap leagues based in New York City — hosts most of its events. But those tapped into today’s vibrant and multilayered battle rap ecosystem know that this modest gym is far more than a setting where wannabe rappers roast each other. Founded by Tyrell Reid, known as No Mercy, the Trap NY is a well-known institution where future stars of this culture are born.

Persons: Eminem, Anthony Mackie, Tyrell Reid Organizations: Stuyvesant Locations: Bedford, Brooklyn, New York City

☆ Opinion | New York Lawmakers Try to Sabotage Campaign Reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For generations, deep-pocketed donors have called the shots in New York State politics, leaving ordinary voters with less power and less of a voice in their government. The changes proposed by lawmakers would protect incumbents and discourage challengers — the opposite of the program’s goal. The 2024 elections will be the first under this new campaign finance system, in which state leaders agreed to match small contributions with public funds to amplify the power of small donors. The law works like this: If an individual gives $5 to $250 to a candidate for a statewide office like governor, that donation is matched with public funds six to one. The match ratios are even higher for state legislative candidates.

Persons: Brennan, New York City’s, Kathy Hochul Organizations: Brennan Center for Justice, Democratic, Gov Locations: New York State, New York

☆ Hong Kong Wants More Tourists, but Mostly ‘Good Quality’ Ones, Please
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( David Pierson | Olivia Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

One by one the tour buses descended on the blue collar neighborhood in Hong Kong known as To Kwa Wan — literally translated as Potato Bay — unloading throngs of travelers from mainland China outside large restaurants where a quick lunch awaited them inside. Outfitted in white, red and orange ball caps to denote which tour they belonged to, the visitors crowded the sidewalks, smoked cigarettes under a “No Smoking” sign and bumped into the glass storefront of a real estate office where Nicky Lam, a property agent, was rolling her eyes. “They’re very loud,” Ms. Lam said, complaining that some of the tourists used her office bathroom and water cooler without asking. “One tourist came in and asked for restaurant recommendations,” she added. “I stared at him and said, ‘This is a real estate office.’”

☆ 24-year-old earns $5,450/month in passive income from a car wash she bought for $0 down: 'I only work on it 20 minutes a day'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Hannah Ingram | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

While struggling to make ends meet, I read about the power of passive income. Now, at 24, I earn an average of $5,450 a month in passive income off my car wash business, after $1,500 to $2,000 of monthly expenses. Buying a car wash business with just $2,000 in the bankWhen I purchased my business, I hardly had any credit history and only $2,000 in savings. In May 2021, I closed on the car wash, but I didn't have to start paying bills until June. Earning passive income from a self-service car wash

"Weakness continues to develop in commercial real estate office," Wells Fargo Chief Executive Charlie Scharf said on a call with analysts. Stress in the commercial real estate sector could have broad implications for banks and the economy, as losses emanating there can tighten credit availability and exacerbate a downturn. More than $1.4 trillion in U.S. CRE loans will mature by 2027, with some $270 billion coming due this year, according to real estate data provider Trepp. As the epicenter for the technology industry downturn, California's CRE market has been hit hard. Citigroup and Wells Fargo declined to comment for this article.

☆ The judge overseeing Trump's case donated $15 to Biden. Legal experts say it likely won't get him thrown off the case, but it'll 'feed the Trump PR beast.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The NY judge handling Donald Trump's criminal case made a $15 donation to President Joe Biden's campaign in 2020. Legal experts told Insider that it likely won't get the judge thrown off the case. But it will "feed the Trump PR beast" and doesn't bode well for public perception, the experts said. Legal experts told Insider on Friday that the political donations likely won't get New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan thrown off of Trump's case, but that it will "feed the Trump PR beast" and doesn't bode well for public perception. "The Trump people will pounce on that"Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment, on April 4, 2023 in New York.

☆ A 26-year-old influencer tried working from Mallorca for a month. She realized she can explore during the day and still keep East Coast hours.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Olivia Marcus is over the lack of work-life balance in the US, so she tried working from Spain. Her 9-to-5 on the East Coast is a 3-to-11 gig in Mallorca, giving her all day to explore. While in Mallorca, Marcus continued to work her 9-to-5 job, but on a 3-to-11 schedule. (Mallorca is five hours ahead of the east coast of the United States.) She said working East Coast hours while in Spain was more than doable.

☆ Trump allies attack DeSantis with campaign ethics complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While the super PAC publicized the complaint, the ethics commission told Reuters it had not yet received it. If wrongdoing is found, typical penalties include a fine or public censure, said Lynn Blais, a spokesperson for the ethics commission. Taryn Fensk, DeSantis' communications director, called the complaint the latest "frivolous and politically motivated" attack on the governor. "It's inappropriate to use state ethics complaints for partisan purposes," she said in a statement. Political strategists described the ethics complaint as the latest attempt by Trump to undermine his rival.

The tuna bond or "hidden debt" scandal, one of Africa's most high-profile corruption cases of recent years, has triggered a spate of litigation from Maputo to Washington. But the London case could establish whether one of the world's poorest countries can secure compensation and restitution. Credit Suisse, Privinvest and others had called for the complex case of claim and counter-claim to be nixed if Mozambique fails to provide "adequate" disclosure within one month of any court order. Mozambique's attorney general has said that state secrecy prevents some documents from being disclosed. Privinvest has said it delivered on all of its obligations under the contracts and any payments it made were legal under Mozambican law.

But the perceived spectacle means that not only will Murdaugh be on display — so will the county seat of Walterboro, population 5,460. “We didn’t want this, but it’s happening, and it’s here,” Scott Grooms, Walterboro’s director of tourism and downtown development, said last week. A portrait of Randolph "Buster" Murdaugh Jr., Alex Murdaugh's late grandfather, was removed from the Colleton County Courthouse ahead of Alex Murdaugh's trial. From left, Paul, Margaret and Alex Murdaugh. While he didn’t know Alex Murdaugh personally, he said few with longstanding ties in the area had not been touched by the Murdaughs’ orbit in one way or another.

Within hours of being sworn in as the new governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order Tuesday banning the term "Latinx" from official use in the state government. It was one of seven orders signed by Sanders, a Republican, right after taking the oath. Bonilla said that what's even more unexpected is that Sanders signed such an executive order on her first day in office. Sanders cited a 2020 Pew Research report that found that only 3% of the Hispanic population nationwide uses the term. When citing the Pew report in the executive order, Sanders did not say the study also found that 76% of Hispanics had not even heard of the term "Latinx" before, Bonilla pointed out.

☆ New York's first legal recreational marijuana shop opens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Daniel Fastenberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The dispensary was opened in New York City's East Village by Housing Works, a non-profit organization that fights homelessness and AIDS. The non-profit was among the first 36 groups or individuals that the state awarded with a marijuana retail license last month. Retailers can also only sell marijuana that licensed New York producers grew and processed. Alexander, the state marijuana director, said local and state law enforcement have been educating gray-market vendors on the licensing rules, following up with cease-and-desist letters and, more recently, seizing merchandise. New York's marijuana sales will be taxed at 13.5%, revenue that will go to schools, public housing, addiction services and mental health services.

☆ Weed has been legal in New York state since 2021 but the first dispensary is set to open — finally — in Manhattan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Marijuana has been legal in New York State since March 2021, but there are still no licensed dispensaries in NYC. The first legal dispensary in New York State will be opened by an HIV/AIDS nonprofit in Manhattan on Dec. 29, Gov. In March 2021, cannabis was legalized for recreational use in New York state. Kathy Hochul said her goal was to open 20 legal dispensaries by the end of 2022, digital news platform The City reported. Prior to this announcement, how and where to legally obtain weed in New York City was a confusing matter.

Search resuls for: "State Office"

25 mentions found