DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Missouri Executes Transgender Inmate, a First in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Missouri carried out the first known execution of a transgender person in the U.S. after Republican Gov. Mike Parson denied Amber McLaughlin ’s clemency petition. Ms. McLaughlin was pronounced dead by lethal injection at 6:51 p.m. on Tuesday at the Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Mo. She was found guilty in the 2003 murder of her ex-girlfriend Beverly Guenther .

☆ Missouri Set to Execute Transgender Inmate, a First in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Amber McLaughlin is set to be killed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Missouri is set to carry out the first known execution of a transgender person in the U.S. after Republican Gov. Mike Parson denied Amber McLaughlin ‘s clemency petition. Ms. McLaughlin is set to be killed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. She was found guilty in the 2003 murder of her ex-girlfriend Beverly Guenther .

☆ Oklahoma Has Become a Top Source of Black-Market Weed
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

COYLE, Okla.—Finding marijuana crops in Oklahoma these days is easy, said Logan County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Tillman, as he stared at rows of cannabis greenhouses surrounded by fields of red-dirt farmland. Figuring out if they are legal—well, that is another matter. “It’s not always clear what we should be looking for,” Deputy Tillman said.

Lufthansa declined to comment on Rome's decision to offer an initial minority stake. Some of Italy's politicians consider ITA as the heir to cultural icon Alitalia, which they want to preserve. Some also say that ITA does not have to worry so much about losing its national identity should Lufthansa take over. The Certares-led alliance was willing to pay 350 million euros for a 50% stake plus one share of the state-controlled airline, sources had said. ($1 = 0.9412 euros)Reporting by Angelo Amante in Rome and Joanna Plucinska in London; additional reporting by Giuseppe Fonte in Rome.

ROME/PARIS, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Italy's Vega rockets have been grounded and an investigation is under way after the latest model failed on its second mission, destroying two Earth-imaging satellites and further complicating Europe's access to space on top of the war in Ukraine. A spokesperson for Arianespace said both the Vega C and its Vega predecessor had been grounded pending the findings of an investigative commission co-chaired by technical officials from the European Space Agency and Arianespace itself. Italy's Vega C rocket is due to play an increasingly crucial role in Europe's access to space after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine forced Arianespace to stop using Russian Soyuz vehicles. But Arianespace has been forced to scrap plans to announce a Vega C launch schedule for 2023 in coming weeks. Analysts said only a few operational alternatives to Vega C exist, such as potential rideshares aboard U.S.-based SpaceX's bigger Falcon 9 or Firefly Aerospace's new Alpha launcher, which can loft roughly half the payload weight of Vega C.Other options, though somewhat larger than Vega C, include rockets from Japan and India.

☆ How Big Tech Shakeup, Layoffs Leave Social-Media Creators Scrambling
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Brooke Erin Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Meanwhile, laborers who rely on social-media platforms for visibility, reputation burnishing, and income have been left reeling — from journalists and academics to freelancers and adult performers. Last month, a plus-size creator told me how self-censorship becomes a risk-reduction strategy for marginalized creators. As the journalist Paul Gallant argued, queer content creators face a continuous struggle to avoid "the wrath that comes from violating ever-changing and poorly explained terms of service." Even coverage of the influence on social-media creators has been more tuned in to those with the biggest followings. But the real pain from this tug-of-war for the future of social media will be felt by those who have long faced the greatest hurdles: marginalized creators.

The letter, seen by Reuters, is signed by the head of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the U.S. Treasury, and mentions a loan provided by some Italian banks and state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). The Italian government adopted on Thursday a scheme allowing ISAB to be placed under trusteeship, while Lukoil continues talks on selling the asset. A similar move was taken by Germany when in September it took control of a refinery owned by Rosneft (ROSN.MM). The government could call on "an oil company that operates in the sector, and it is obvious to everyone that this (company) could be Eni, and this will ensure continuity of production," he said. Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte and Alvise Armellini, Editing by Christina Fincher and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Austin Police Release Footage of Officer’s Fatal Shooting of Local Entrepreneur
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Austin Police Department released home-security footage that showed Raj Moonesinghe outside his home the night he was killed last month. The Austin Police Department released body camera and home security footage Thursday of an officer’s fatal shooting of a 33-year-old entrepreneur, a killing the man’s family has called unjustified. Raj Moonesinghe was killed Nov. 15 by police responding to a 911 call reporting an armed man walking around outside a home. In Ring camera footage, Mr. Moonesinghe is seen on the front porch of the home, which was his, holding a rifle. At one point he points the weapon toward the inside of the home and says, “Yeah you want this?” and seconds later “Are you sure?” before firing twice into the home as a police officer pulls up.

☆ Italy seeks U.S. help to unlock funding for Lukoil refinery, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The survival of the ISAB plant in Sicily is under threat due to a European embargo on seaborne Russian oil coming into effect on Dec. 5. ISAB has been forced to rely solely on Russian oil after creditor banks halted financing and stopped providing guarantees needed to buy oil from alternative suppliers. Its creditor banks have been wary of dealing with a Russian entity because Lukoil is affected by international sanctions in the United States, but not in Europe. So far, however, there has been no positive response to Italy's request, one of the sources said. A cabinet meeting on Thursday will also discuss steps aimed at helping the ISAB plant, one of the sources said.

☆ Italy seeks new options for TIM with network bid seen on hold
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The statement also reiterated that Rome was keen to secure control of TIM's network. A government source said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had put CDP's bid on hold. Marking a break with the past, Meloni on Friday entrusted the government's broadband strategy to Butti, who has openly criticised CDP's plans for TIM. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti this month said Butti's plans required extensive discussions within the government, which had "several options" to secure control of TIM's network. TIM, which is expected to hold a board meeting on Wednesday to discuss governance issues, had no immediate comment.

Such a plan met heavy reservations within Giorgia Meloni's new right-wing administration, which decided to put CDP's bid on hold on Monday night, two government officials told Reuters. TIM, which has been under pressure for years due to a hyper-competitive domestic market, had no immediate comment. Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti this month said Butti's plans required extensive discussions within the government, which had "several options" to secure control of TIM's network. Butti, who has openly criticised CDP's plans for TIM, has called on the Treasury-owned lender to take over TIM in full to then sell its service operations, including its Brazil-listed unit. TIM is expected to hold a board meeting on Wednesday to discuss the appointment of a director to replace Renault boss Luca de Meo.

☆ Embattled El Paso District Attorney Yvonne Rosales Resigns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Adolfo Flores | Elizabeth Findell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Yvonne Rosales, the district attorney in charge of the 2019 Walmart mass shooting case in El Paso County, Texas, has resigned. Yvonne Rosales, the El Paso County, Texas, district attorney, resigned Monday amid allegations of mishandling cases and growing efforts to remove her from office. Ms. Rosales was accused of incompetence and misconduct in the 2019 Walmart mass shooting as well as inaction on cases, according to an amended petition for her removal filed by El Paso County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal.

AUSTIN, Texas—Even as a cold night started to settle outside Tesla ‘s headquarters here on Saturday, a group of cryptocurrency entrepreneurs had no plans to leave until Elon Musk, the man they named their currency after, accepted a 12,000-pound sculpture of a Mr. Musk-headed goat riding a rocket. It is the latest stunt in the cryptocurrency space, where jokes and memes about digital currencies regularly flood social media. But a 6-ton sculpture as a marketing gimmick isn’t so common.

☆ Researchers test mRNA technology for universal flu vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It delivers tiny lipid particles containing mRNA instructions for cells to create replicas of so-called hemagglutinin proteins that appear on influenza virus surfaces. A universal vaccine would not mean an end to flu seasons, but would replace the guess work that goes into developing annual shots months ahead of flu season each year. Moderna and Pfizer both have mRNA flu vaccines in late-stage human trials, and GSK (GSK.L) and partner CureVac (5CV.DE) are testing an mRNA flu vaccine in an early-stage safety trial in humans. These vaccines are designed to defend against only four recently-circulating influenza strains but could theoretically be changed up each year. The universal flu vaccine, if successful in human trials, would not necessarily prevent infection.

☆ Accused Colorado Springs Shooter Makes First Court Appearance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Alicia A. Caldwell | Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The 22-year-old suspect accused of killing five people and injuring 19 at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs made a brief first appearance in court via video Wednesday, appearing slumped in a chair with facial bruises. Lawyers for Anderson Lee Aldrich , who identifies as nonbinary and uses the pronoun they according to a filing by their attorney, waived a reading of the charges against them during the five-minute hearing. Police said earlier this week that Mx. Aldrich, their preferred title, was arrested on five counts of first-degree murder and hate-crimes charges.

The Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., held a drag show before the fatal mass shooting on Saturday night. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—More than 48 hours after a shooting that left five people dead and 19 wounded at a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, authorities are continuing to search for evidence on what may have motivated suspect Anderson Lee Aldrich . Mr. Aldrich, 22 years old, threatened to harm members of his family in an incident last year that led authorities to seize weapons from him but didn’t result in charges, according to law enforcement.

☆ A Century Later, Historians Revisit a Texas Massacre
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

On Jan. 28, 1918, 15 Mexican boys and men from a small Texas border town were rousted in the middle of the night, led to a bluff and shot to death at close range. The Texas Rangers, local ranchers and soldiers who rounded up the group said they went to question the residents of Porvenir, a ranching and farming community on the far southwestern edge of the state, because they believed they were involved in an earlier raid on nearby Brite Ranch. They claimed the 15 had died in a shootout.

☆ New Italian government's budget to boost spending to fight energy crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Past attempts to do that have ended in disaster," Industry Minister Adolfo Urso told La Stampa newspaper on Sunday. Meloni has already said that roughly two thirds of the additional spending power would be used to help companies and households survive record-high gas and electricity bills. This comes on top of some 75 billion euros splashed out in 2022 to tackle surging energy prices. But ministers say they will be fiscally prudent, and avoid the budget errors that unseated Britain's former prime minister Liz Truss. Once the cabinet approves the budget, parliament will have until Dec. 31 to pass it into law.

☆ One U.S. Customs Agent Killed, Two Wounded in Shooting off Coast of Puerto Rico
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Adolfo Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The wounded CBP Marine Interdiction agents were airlifted to the Puerto Rico Trauma Center. One U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was killed and two were wounded Thursday off the coast of Puerto Rico in a shootout with people on a suspected smuggling vessel. A person aboard the vessel also died as a result of the shooting, said Jeffrey Quiñones , a spokesperson for CBP. Another person was arrested, the agency said.

☆ Fitch downgrades Telecom Italia to 'BB-'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Ratings agency Fitch on Tuesday downgraded Telecom Italia's credit rating to 'BB-' from 'BB,' citing insufficient debt reduction in 2022. It expects the company's free cash flow to remain negative for at least three years, adding that financing of its negative free cash flow is increasingly important given financial market volatility and high interest rates. Ratings agency S&P Global in October downgraded Telecom Italia to "B+" from "BB-," citing a weak macro environment. Moody's in July downgraded Telecom Italia by one notch to 'B1,' citing expectations its leverage will remain high and free cash flow will stay negative over the next two to three years. Italy's new government wants to bring Telecom Italia's network under state control to speed up the digitalization of the economy, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said on Monday.

☆ Italy govt wants Telecom Italia network under state control
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ROME, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Italy’s new government wants Telecom Italia's (TLIT.MI) network to be under state control to speed up the digitalization of the economy, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said on Monday. "We need the network to be under public control", Urso said at a business conference in Rome. Reporting by Elvira Pollina and Giuseppe Fonte, editing by Alvise ArmelliniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Antonio ParrinelloROME, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Italy's efforts to secure financing to keep an Italian oil refinery owned by Lukoil up and running despite new sanctions on Russia kicking in next month have hit obstacles, three people close to the matter said. Lukoil is not under sanctions, but ISAB suppliers and lenders had been wary of dealings with a Russian entity following the Ukraine conflict. A sale to non-Russian buyers would avert the closure of the ISAB plant, which directly employs some 1,000 workers. Lukoil could provide temporary funding for ISAB, based on the minutes of a ministerial meeting held on Oct. 17 to discuss ISAB financing. Rome is also considering buying a minority stake in the refinery to protect Italian interests, one of the sources said.

Lukoil's ISAB refinery in Sicily stands to be hit by an embargo on seaborne Russian oil that comes into force on Dec. 5, putting at risk jobs in Italy's poorer south and the country's refining capacity. Although Lukoil is not affected by the sanctions, the ISAB plant has been forced to rely solely on Russian oil after creditor banks halted financing and stopped providing guarantees the refinery needs to buy oil from alternative suppliers. The sources said the government was trying to find ways to ensure the plant can receive financing from lenders and remain operational. The goal is to allow ISAB to buy elsewhere the oil it needs, two of the sources said. A sale to non-Russian buyers would avert the closure of the ISAB plant, which accounts for around 20% of Italian refining capacity and directly employs some 1,000 workers.

☆ Factbox: Key ministers in new Italian Meloni government
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

ROME, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government was sworn into office on Saturday. Here the profiles of some of the key figures:ECONOMY MINISTERGiancarlo Giorgetti, 55, is a veteran political wheeler-dealer viewed as a moderate and relatively pro-European member of his right-wing League party. He was not Prime Minister Meloni's first choice for the job. He held posts in centre-right governments led by Berlusconi and recently served as president of the influential parliamentary intelligence committee. Meloni insisted on him for the job, overcoming resistance from Berlusconi who wanted a Forza Italia member in the ministry.

☆ (OFFICIAL) Key ministers in new Italian government
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Italy's newly appointed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks to the media following a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy October 21, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneROME, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Giorgia Meloni's Italian government will be sworn in on Saturday at 10 a.m. (0800 GMT). Here the profiles of some of the key figures:ECONOMY MINISTERGiancarlo Giorgetti, 55, is a veteran political wheeler-dealer viewed as a moderate and relatively pro-European member of his right-wing League party. He was not Prime Minister Meloni's first choice for the job. Meloni insisted on him for the job, overcoming resistance from Berlusconi who wanted a Forza Italia member in the justice ministry.

Search resuls for: "Adolfo"

25 mentions found