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☆ Study finds 45 negative health effects of added sugar
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —There are at least 45 good reasons to cut back on added sugar, according to a new study. Copious research has shown the negative effects of excessive sugar intake on health, which has informed recommendations to limit consumption of “free” or added sugar to less than 10% of a person’s daily caloric intake. “This means that whole, intact grains don’t cause the same spikes in blood sugar that we experience when we eat simple sugars. A doughnut has around 15 to 30 grams of sugar, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Cooking and baking at home more often is one of the best ways to reduce sugar intake, Aggarwal said.

☆ Factbox: Relations between Taiwan and the United States
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here are some facts about the relationship between Taiwan and the United States. * During the height of the Cold War, Taiwan hosted U.S. military bases and the two had a Mutual Defence Treaty. * In 1979, the United States severed official relations with the government in Taipei and instead recognised the government in Beijing. * Post-1979, the U.S. relationship with Taiwan has been governed by the Taiwan Relations Act, which gives a legal basis to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but does not mandate that the United States come to Taiwan's aid if attacked. * The United States retains a large de facto embassy in Taipei called the American Institute in Taiwan, staffed by diplomats.

☆ Fact Check-Images show fossilized remains of large sloth, not human giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Images of meters-long fossils show remains of giant sloths housed at the Paleontological Museum Megatherium in Ecuador, not remains of a human giant. A spokesperson for the museum confirmed to Reuters that the images show the remains of a now-extinct giant ground sloth. A search via the Paleontological Museum Megatherium’s website reveals images of the same fossilized remains attributed to the Eremotherium Laurillardi species (here). The website links to further reading about the giant sloth remains (here). The image shows fossilized remains of a giant sloth that is housed at the Paleontological Museum Megatherium in Ecuador.

☆ U.S. Audit Watchdog Proposes Move to Get Inspections Started Faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Erica Williams has been chair of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board for just over a year, and has increased its enforcement efforts. The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board proposed cutting by more than half the amount of time auditors have to assemble final audit documentation, which might allow the audit watchdog to start its inspection process up to a month earlier and provide key information to investors sooner. The U.S. audit regulator has been working to update more than 30 standards that have gone largely unchanged since they were adopted on an interim basis roughly 20 years ago from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. With the proposal released Tuesday, the PCAOB suggested consolidating and modernizing four interim standards into one standard on auditors’ core responsibilities, including areas such as professional skepticism, independence, competence and professional judgment.

☆ U.S. warns China's promises often empty as Honduras wavers on Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The flags of Taiwan and Honduras flutter in the wind outside the Taiwan Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras March 15, 2023. At stake is China's growing footprint in Central America, once a steadfast base for Taiwan and where the United States is worried about Beijing's expanding influence in its backyard. The American Institute in Taiwan said that while Honduras' possible severing of ties with Taipei in favour of Beijing was a sovereign decision, China does not always follow through on its promises. The Honduras drama is happening ahead of a high-profile visit by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen to the United States and Central America next week. The United States also has no official ties with Taiwan but is the island's most important international backer and arms supplier.

How do I even begin to tackle this mountain of debt on a single income with minimal child support help? Costas is the vice president of EP Wealth Advisors and a certified divorce Financial Analyst. The snowball method is about using small financial achievements to fuel larger ones. The sense of victory you will feel from paying off that small debt will help you feel you've conquered a challenge, which will go a long way in helping you summit the $60,000 mountain of debt in your path. Ways to make your money go furtherKennedy also encouraged you to start saving money while you continue prioritizing paying down debt.

☆ Dangers from Hacks Stretch Beyond Broken Computer Systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( James Rundle | Kim S. Nash | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. Part of the delay, he said, was in getting details from the cloud company, which he declined to name. Cybersecurity companies should be held to a higher standard than others in relaying information about hacks quickly and thoroughly, Mr. Toubba said. The lessons learned from cyberattacks can be just as important as how a company responds to a breach, security chiefs say. LastPass has also rolled out several security tools in its infrastructure, data center and cloud systems, Mr. Toubba said.

☆ There’s a quicker, cheaper way to go to college, but fewer students are trying it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

watch nowHow 'early college' programs workIn some cases, students can even complete an associate degree by the time they finish high school, a type of dual enrollment known as "early college." These programs are not restricted to high school students on a specific — and often accelerated — academic track, as many AP classes are. Early college students are also more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree compared to their peers who were not enrolled in early college programs, according to one study by the American Institutes for Research. Although there are up to 900 early college programs nationwide, according to Zeiser, many are still under the radar. Early College High School is a Title I school in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, which means there is a high percentage of low-income students.

☆ How to Read a Form 1098-E
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

By Kerri Anne RenzulliIf you have student loans, chances are you’ll encounter the IRS’s Form 1098-E. Those with multiple loans across multiple lenders will be sent a separate 1098-E form by each lending institution. But for those who do, this mark indicates that you took out your student loan before Sept. 1, 2004. Instead of relying on the Form 1098-E, you’ll need to request or download records of what you paid in interest and your payment history from your loan servicer, says Greene-Lewis. Who can claim the student loan interest deduction The $2,500 deduction phases out as your modified adjusted gross income rises.

☆ As new data shows inflation rose in January, here's what consumers can expect next
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While the inflation rate is poised to subside this year, "it will not be a straight line," Raymond James chief economist Eugenio Aleman told CNBC.com at the time. The Federal Reserve is tasked with getting inflation under control, while trying to avoid a deep economic recession. What the latest inflation measure showsThe personal consumption expenditures price index, or PCEPI, is the central bank's preferred measure as it seeks to bring inflation down to a 2% target. Based on Friday's data, it's "almost a certainty" the central bank will raise rates by 25 basis points in March, and maybe even higher, Luther said. A period of below 2% inflation would be needed to see prices subside back to where they were, Luther said.

☆ Taiwan Foreign Minister Held High-Level Meeting in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Joyu Wang | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

TAIPEI—Taiwan’s foreign minister traveled to the U.S. this week for an unusual high-level meeting with senior American officials in the Washington area. Photos and video from Taiwan’s state-run Central News Agency showed Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and National Security Council chief Wellington Koo waving as they left the Washington headquarters of the American Institute in Taiwan, along with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and other U.S. officials.

☆ Gas, airfares, car insurance: How transportation costs are impacting high inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty ImagesMeanwhile, fuel oil dipped 1.2% in January but was up 27.7% for the past 12 months. While high gas prices made headlines in 2022, prompting gas tax holidays in some states, those prices have subsided from last year's highs. Gas prices "did rise in January and that was mostly due to the weather," said Andrew Gross, spokesperson at AAA. Other transportation costs are in fluxNew vehicles are up 5.8% over the past 12 months ending Jan. 30, and up 0.2% for the month. However, used cars and trucks, a category that surged during record high inflation, are now down 11.6% for the past 12 months and down 1.9% for January.

☆ Economists still worry recession could be on the way. But here's how a soft landing may still be possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"We are still on the path to lower inflation rates," House said. Economists said they still expect a recession following the new January inflation data. But the Federal Reserve lacks tools to prompt that area to cool off, he said. The new data shows slowing disinflation, he said, while the Federal Reserve will probably have to hold rates higher for longer. A 'Goldilocks scenario' could bring a soft landingThere is still hope, however, that the central bank may execute a so-called "soft landing," according to House.

☆ A shortage of accountants is pushing the industry to reboot its image to win over young talent: 'You have to sell them'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Erica Sweeney | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Accountants manage financial processes and financial reporting and ensure regulatory compliance. To combat shortages, those in the accounting industry are working to attract more people to the field. Sandy Torchia, the vice chair of talent and culture at KPMG, said the company hasn't been impacted by the accountant shortage yet. How the accounting industry is addressing the shortageMany firms are shifting to remote-work policies and investing in automation and technology to attract and retain talent. Lisa Simpson says the accounting industry needs automation to allow accountants to focus on "higher-value work."

That has rendered a community that experts estimate to be 7 million to 8 million people invisible, underrepresented and unnoticed. There's power in numbers, Berry said, and as it is now, much of the research on the American MENA community is anecdotal because of the lack of an identifier. "Small-business owners in the community would be able to take advantage of grants that we're not entitled to, because we're factored into the white category." 'It's like déjà vu'It isn't the first time the U.S. has concluded that a MENA category is necessary. It's a processThe recommendation for the OMB to adopt a MENA category is just that — a recommendation.

☆ U.S. links Israel visa-waiver to West Bank travel for Palestinian-Americans
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The United States expects Israel, under a visa-waiver deal being discussed between the allies, to enable free passage for Palestinian-Americans into the occupied West Bank, the U.S. ambassador said on Wednesday. Among territories where Palestinians seek statehood, the West Bank has seen a surge in violence over the past year. Asked whether Israel was preparing special provisions for Palestinian-Americans to pass through its West Bank checkpoints, a military spokesperson said: "We have nothing new to relay." The Office of Palestinian Affairs in the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for the number of Palestinian-Americans domiciled in the West Bank. The overall Palestinian population in the West Bank is 3.2 million, according to a Ramallah census.

☆ PCAOB Proposes Tighter Requirements for Audit Firms Verifying Outside Information About Clients
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board proposed tightening the requirements around how audit firms obtain and verify outside evidence about their clients, such as from customers and lenders, a process aimed at preventing fraud. Under the current rule, audit firms must send out requests, typically electronically, asking a third party to confirm the accuracy of certain information, such as the amount of accounts receivable. Audit firms are allowed to assume that the lack of a response is a corroboration of accuracy. The PCAOB now wants audit firms to go a step further by confirming the amounts of cash and cash equivalents held by third parties—typically lenders. The PCAOB last proposed changes to its confirmation rules in 2010, but the proposal, which some audit firms at the time called overly prescriptive, didn’t advance further.

☆ Struggling to Find Accountants, Businesses Boost Salary Offers, Hire Temporary Workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Companies’ accounting and finance departments in particular, which are crucial for managing financial operations, internal controls and financial reporting, are suffering from the lack of personnel. It has 20 to 30 open finance and accounting positions globally, Mr. Juillard said. Companies also try to retain the finance and accounting workers they have. “Securing that talent has been the biggest problem,” Mr. Thorpe said. GEE used to elevate staff accountants to senior accountants in one to three years and to managers in three to six years, Mr. Thorpe said.

☆ American college student reported missing while studying abroad in France
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Marie Brockling | Gabrielle Nolin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

An American college student has been reported missing by his family while studying abroad in France. The parents of 22-year-old Ken DeLand Jr. have set up a website in an effort to share information about their son, who they say has been missing since last month. The family says they “fear the worst and want him to be located.”DeLand Jr. was studying at the University Grenoble Alpes in France through a study abroad program. DeLand Jr. was last seen making a purchase at 9 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2022. A surveillance camera captured DeLand Jr. entering a sports store in Montelimar in southeast France on Dec. 3, where he made a purchase for $8.40, according to the parents.

☆ More Crypto Exchanges Verify Reserves, But Questions About Assets Remain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Most crypto exchanges are privately held, meaning they don’t have to file financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission or get them audited. He added that customers of crypto exchanges should “look for as rigorous of that as you can look for regulatory reporting.”FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sat down with The Wall Street Journal to discuss what happened to the billions of dollars deposited by the exchange’s customers. Photo: Kenny Wassus/The Wall Street JournalSuch a third-party verification represents a step toward more transparency around crypto exchanges, but there are significant shortcomings, some academics said. Coinbase Global Inc. last month reported $95.11 billion in both customer crypto assets and liabilities for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from $88.45 billion the previous quarter, filings show. Still, the PCAOB encourages investors to review reports on the work those companies’ auditors have done, Chair Erica Williams said at a conference Tuesday.

☆ Poor sleep can make you prickly. Here’s what to do
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Develop a sleep debt from those worries, and you’ll pay a price in your ability to think, plan and manage your emotions. “Sleep debt, also called a sleep deficit, is the difference between the amount of sleep someone needs and the amount they actually get,” said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine. Research has found many people have little idea how much poor sleep has affected their mood and coping skills, said Dr. Bhanu Prakash Kolla, a sleep medicine specialist in the Center for Sleep Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Loss of sleep can directly affect your ability to control emotions and manage expectations, said Dr. Bhanu Prakash Kolla of the Mayo Clinic. “Sleep medications are seldom the solution for chronically poor sleep and impaired daytime functioning,” he said.

☆ Audit Standards Overseer Also Backs Startups
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Jean Eaglesham | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An accounting trade body has invested in audit-related tech startups, while setting auditing standards and overseeing millions of audits—prompting concerns within the industry of potential conflicts of interest. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants says its “shark-tank style startup accelerator,” illustrated on its website by a skateboarding man in a suit, is designed to foster innovation.

☆ U.S. Audit Watchdog Looks to Strengthen Rules on Quality Controls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The regulator inspects audit firms’ approach to quality controls as part of its reviews. Fourteen audit firms issued audit reports for over 100 businesses apiece last year, the PCAOB’s website shows. Audit firms would have to conduct the first evaluation of their quality controls by the following Nov. 30. It is considering revising changes to rules on confirmations, a process by which audit firms obtain and evaluate audit evidence from independent third parties. The regulator is working to update more than 30 audit rules related to 10 of its standard-setting projects, many of which refer to outdated technology.

☆ FTX: Inside the crypto giant's downfall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Crypto contagionThe crypto industry is on edge, waiting for the next dominoes to fall. Soon after FTX went down, crypto firms were inundated requests from customers seeking to claw their money back — the crypto equivalent of a run on the bank. The pain isn’t confined to crypto companies. SBF had become a fixture in Washington, too, where he regularly traveled to lobby lawmakers for greater regulatory clarity for the crypto industry. “It’s about fraud and the power of virtue signaling.”He added: “This scandal, far from destroying crypto, practically ensures that crypto will be around for a long, long time.”

☆ In California's conservative Little Saigon, a progressive unravelling among Vietnamese Americans switches up Orange County politics and raises the stakes for Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Hanna Kang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

The race in California's 45th House district has put a spotlight on its conservative Vietnamese American voter bloc in Little Saigon. Vietnamese American voters have long leaned conservative while the Asian American vote nationwide for decades trended Democratic. Westminster is the first city in the nation to have a Vietnamese American majority on the council, she added. "But what we've seen pretty clearly is that the Vietnamese community is home to diverse political perspectives." From a larger perspective, Joe said, Steel's strategy is short-sighted because it only reaches the immigrant Vietnamese conservative subgroup.

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