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☆ Democrats in Texas and New York are blocking efforts to build cheaper housing while also making life more difficult for Airbnb landlords
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Texas and New York have both recently killed major pro-housing legislation in their states. In New York and Texas, Democrats recently facilitated the death of major pieces of pro-housing legislation. Some Texas Democrats opposed the legislation because it would have opened opportunities for short-term rentals, like Airbnbs. Texas needed to build 330,000 more homes back in 2019, before the pandemic-induced surge of buyers, according to one report. The overwhelming majority of New Yorkers say housing affordability is a top concern.

☆ A Japanese Pearl Farm Shows Nature’s Artistic Process
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Vivian Morelli | Andrew Faulk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They included two that the farm calls the factory, used to start the culturing process and for offices, and two more that it calls the pearl research institute, used for oyster breeding and research. Floating on the bay’s surface nearby was a series of large platforms, grid-like structures that, underwater, held nets with thousands upon thousands of oysters, their pearls slowly developing. The inspiration for cultivation began in the late 1800s, when the Akoya oysters in the Ago Bay region were being overharvested for their pearls. The anniversary marks 1893, when he first cultured a semi-spherical pearl; in 1896, when he could do it consistently, he established the Tatoku farm. “This region is suited for pearl harvest because of the enclosed sea, which means the water is calm,” Junya Yamamura, the farm and factory manager, said, referring to the bay.

☆ Michigan man says posting a meme about pooping on company time led to him filing for bankruptcy after he was sued by his employer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

When a Michigan man posted a meme about work to Facebook in 2019, a lengthy legal battled ensued. In the ruling, the court said Hidalgo would have to pay $150,000 to Roman Stone Works. The viral post about the firing led to online harassment of Roman Stone Works from supporters of Hidalgo. The Roman Stone Works Facebook page still receives comments related to the situation, including one as recently as two weeks ago. Roman Stone Works did not immediately respond to Insider's request to comment.

☆ Kemal Dervis, Who Eased Turkey’s Economic Crisis, Dies at 74
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Neil Genzlinger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kemal Dervis, an economist who was instrumental in leading his native Turkey out of economic crisis early in this century, and who later became the first person to lead the United Nations Development Program from a country that had received developmental aid from the program, died on Sunday in Bethesda, Md. The Brookings Institution, where Mr. Dervis had been the director and vice president of the global economy and development program and was a nonresident distinguished fellow, confirmed his death. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency said he died of an unspecified illness. Mr. Dervis had been working in various posts for the World Bank for two decades when, in early 2001, prices in Turkey began skyrocketing and the currency, the lira, plunged in value. The meltdown was fast-moving, and Mr. Dervis, at the time a vice president of the World Bank, was seen as a savior.

☆ Ford is finally bringing the beastly Ranger Raptor truck to the US, and it costs $57,000 — see it here
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat. The 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat. FordThe Ranger RaptorThe 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor. The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor. The 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor.

☆ Cognitive decline, dementia common after stroke
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

About 40% of the survivors of stroke have mild cognitive impairment that does not meet the diagnostic criteria for dementia. Cognitive impairment is most common within the first two weeks after a stroke, the statement said. The American Stroke Association’s statement did offer some good news: About 20% of people who experience mild cognitive impairment after a stroke fully recover their cognitive function, typically within the first six months. Stroke risk factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes, should be treated, as should atrial fibrillation. “Perhaps the most pressing need, however, is the development of effective and culturally relevant treatments for post-stroke cognitive impairment,” she said.

☆ Top diets for heart health, according to American Heart Association
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But which diet best meets the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association? In a new scientific statement, leading experts in nutrition ranked 10 popular diets on their ability to meet the AHA’s evidence-based dietary guidance for heart health, published in 2021. “The American Heart Association says no one should drink alcohol if they haven’t started,” Gardner said. Aimed at doctorsWhile people concerned with heart health can and should use the new AHA ranking of the 10 diets, the scientific statement was written for physicians, Gardner said. Top diets for heart health are predominately plant-based, the AHA statement says.

☆ Australia signs land deal for proposed battery material plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The proposed facility in Western Australia, the country's largest mining state, would be Australia's first to produce nickel-cobalt-manganese precursor cathode active material, used to make components for the lithium-ion batteries common in electric vehicles. IGO acting CEO Matt Dusci said the land deal was a "critical step" to better integrate into the battery supply chain. "We believe the area where Australia can be most competitive is in mid-stream battery chemical processing," Dusci said in a statement. A final investment decision for the project is subject to a feasibility study, due in mid-2024, and finding a project partner with battery chemical processing experience. Western Australia, which holds a majority of the country's critical mineral reserves, is at the forefront of the push to build processing capacity.

☆ Abortion Pills, the Latest Battleground, Have Been Little Known to Americans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ruth Igielnik | Andrew Fischer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Abortion pills have dominated headlines in the past week, but until recently, relatively few Americans were familiar with the concept of medication abortions, even as the use of pills like mifepristone has surpassed surgical procedures as the most common method to terminate pregnancies and as national support for abortion rights has grown in recent years. Two conflicting rulings on mifepristone, the first pill in a two-drug regimen used to terminate pregnancy, have put the long-term availability of the medication in limbo. The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to step in and ensure the drug’s accessibility while it pursues an appeal. About one in three Americans said they had heard of mifepristone or a medication abortion in a January survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan research group that focuses on health issues. But that share is most likely growing, Ashley Kirzinger, the organization’s director of survey methodology, said.

☆ Exploring Picasso’s Málaga
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Andrew Ferren | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Christine Picasso renewed those efforts in the 1990s by offering to donate a portion of her own collection of Picasso’s work to establish a new museum in the city. Since the Museo Picasso Málaga opened in 2003, it has helped convert the city into a top cultural destination, not just in Spain, but in southern Europe. The sidewalks and pretty pedestrian streets of the historic city center once again bustle with pedestrians amid the palm trees, geraniums and bougainvillea. “Evidently, people don’t want to just lie on the beach.”If you goWithin Spain, Málaga is a short flight from both Barcelona and Madrid; the latter is also less than three hours away on Spain’s high-speed AVE rail network. About 300 feet from the Picasso Museum, Hotel Palacio Solecio offers luxury accommodations in a beautifully restored 18th-century palace; doubles from about 300 euros, or about $326.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 6 (Reuters) - Republicans in control of the Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two Democratic representatives on Thursday for breaking decorum during a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week in the wake of the latest school shooting. The resolution to oust a third Democratic member who stood with them during the protest on the House floor, Gloria Johnson, a white woman, came up one vote short. That protest came four days after a Nashville school shooting killed three 9-year-old children and three school staff members. [1/10] Protesters gather in the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 6, 2023. Johnson, Jones and Pearson have said that taking part in the protest was within their First Amendment rights - the constitutional right to freedom of speech.

☆ Tennessee Republicans likely to expel three Democratic lawmakers from statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Gloria Johnson People hold their hands up as they exit the House Chamber doors at the Tennessee State Capitol Building, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. April 3, 2023. April 6 (Reuters) - Republicans who control the Tennessee House of Representatives will vote on Thursday on whether to expel three Democratic members for their role in a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week. Three Democratic lawmakers stood on the House floor and used a bullhorn to lead protesters in chanting demands for stricter gun laws. The expulsion vote is likely to easily pass in the Republican-dominated House and lead to the ouster of Rep. Gloria Johnson, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson. Republicans Rep. Andrew Farmer, Rep. Gino Bulso, and Rep.

☆ Ford's first quarter sales increase 10.1% on improved F-Series truck production
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidDETROIT – Ford Motor on Tuesday reported a roughly 10% increase in its quarterly U.S. sales, led by jumps in its critical F-Series pickups and Bronco SUVs. Sales of Ford's trucks increased by nearly 20%, while car sales were up by 5.1% and SUVs increased by less than 1%. Ford reported sales of 170,377 F-Series pickups, up about 21% compared to a year earlier. Ford's sales increase comes as Wall Street analysts monitor rising vehicle inventories and incentives for the U.S. automotive industry following historically low levels of both during the past three years. Morgan Stanley estimates industry sales last month increased 8.7%, as automakers increase production levels following several years of significant supply chain problems.

WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) - A social media influencer who once had 58,000 Twitter followers was convicted by a federal jury of election interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential race over a voter suppression scheme, the Justice Department said late on Friday. Douglass Mackey, also known as “Ricky Vaughn,” was convicted of the charge of conspiracy against rights stemming from his scheme to deprive individuals of their constitutional right to vote, the Justice Department said in a statement. In 2016, Mackey, 33, established an audience on Twitter with 58,000 followers. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization, Vaughn has in the past openly supported hate groups. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington, Editing by Franklin PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China's strong demand for commodities to overtake post-2008 crisis, mining giant says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Australian iron ore giant began business in China with a 180,000-metric ton shipment of iron ore in 2008, according to the company's website. At that time, China managed to avoid a prolonged recession with a massive stimulus program that supported infrastructure development — which drove up demand for commodities. What we're seeing now is uniform demand across China. "What we're seeing now is uniform demand across China," Forrest said, "and uniform demand but increasing, thankfully, in the supply chain, the ecosystem which will create [for the] renewable energy industry." In the six months ended Dec. 31, Fortescue said it shipped a record 96.9 million metric tons of iron ore — up 4% from a year ago.

☆ China's renewable energy ecosystem is 'the most exciting investment sector' right now: Fortescue
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina's renewable energy ecosystem is 'the most exciting investment sector' right now: FortescueAndrew Forrest of the Australian iron ore company says "the demand is absolutely enormous" for China's renewable energy ecosystem, which includes manufacturing, automation and robotics.

OAKLAND, California, March 28 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence chip startup Cerebras Systems on Tuesday said it released open source ChatGPT-like models for the research and business community to use for free in an effort to foster more collaboration. Silicon Valley-based Cerebras released seven models all trained on its AI supercomputer called Andromeda, including smaller 111 million parameter language models to a larger 13 billion parameter model. Cerebras said the smaller models can be deployed on phones or smart speakers while the bigger ones run on PCs or servers, although complex tasks like large passage summarization require larger models. Most of the AI models today are trained on Nvidia Corp's (NVDA.O) chips, but more and more startups like Cerebras are trying to take share in that market. The models trained on Cerebras machines can also be used on Nvidia systems for further training or customization, said Feldman.

☆ How generative AI could transform the $30 billion biotech industry, speeding up everything from drug discovery to DNA sequencing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Biotech startups are using generative AI for everything from protein creation to DNA sequencing. "Drug discovery, antibody discovery, and protein discovery are all fantastic applications of the tech," he added. Generative AI has founders and investors cautiously optimisticThe sector is in the early stages of applying generative technology — but founders are becoming aware of its limitations. "Generative AI models can hallucinate models that are new to nature. Biotech startups meanwhile raised $29.5 billion last year, down slightly from 2021's record-breaking $36.6 billion, according to Bloomberg.

☆ Australian prime minister seeks to diversify trade, investment on visit to India
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday his government wants to diversify trade and foreign investment partners, as he prepares to lead a business delegation to India which he said shares Australia's democratic values. China is easily Australia's largest trading partner, although a diplomatic dispute has resulted in what Australia calls "trade blockages" being imposed by China on a raft of Australia's exports. Canberra has asked Beijing to remove those blockages as the two nations resume talks after a years-long diplomatic freeze. Business leaders across transport, resources, finance, higher education, architecture and energy will on Wednesday accompany Albanese to India, which is Australia's sixth largest trading partner. The delegation includes Macquarie Group Chief Executive Shemara Wikramanayake, Commonwealth Bank of Australia Chief Executive Matt Comyn, Fortescue Metals Group founder Andrew Forrest, Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson, and executives from BHP , Rio Tinto and Graincorp .

☆ Australian PM seeks to diversify trade, investment on India visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, March 7 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday his government wants to diversify trade and foreign investment partners, as he prepares to lead a business delegation to India which he said shares Australia's democratic values. China is easily Australia's largest trading partner, although a diplomatic dispute has resulted in what Australia calls "trade blockages" being imposed by China on a raft of Australia's exports. Business leaders across transport, resources, finance, higher education, architecture and energy will on Wednesday accompany Albanese to India, which is Australia's sixth largest trading partner. "We can do all these things as well as remaining a trusted and reliable supplier of energy to key trading partners such as Japan and the Republic of Korea," he added. Albanese said Australia would be "deepening and diversifying our international investment and trade links".

☆ U.S. Justice Dept opposes Google bid to move advertising antitrust case to New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Mike Scarcella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The case, alleging anticompetitive abuses of advertising technology, was filed in January in Alexandria, Virginia, federal court and threatens to break up a key part of Google's business. But moving the case to the Southern District of New York won't eliminate the chance of divergent trial judgments or appellate decisions, the DOJ's lawyers said. The cases consolidated in New York can return to their originating district courts for trial, the government told Brinkema. In its bid seeking to get the DOJ case to New York, Google's lawyers said the government's "case lags far behind other pending ad tech antitrust cases" and "adds nothing of substance to those earlier-filed cases." The case is United States et al v. Google LLC, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1:23-cv-00108-LMB-IDD.

☆ The unraveling of fintech darling Vise
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +28 min

It was April, and more than two dozen salespeople who worked for the fintech startup Vise had been ordered to a multiday off-site at the W Hoboken hotel in New Jersey to share exhaustive reports on their performance. Even salespeople at bigger, established, top-tier investment-management firms typically wouldn't close $250 million in a year, multiple sales employees said. (K-means clustering is an unsupervised machine-learning algorithm often referred to as a form of AI, Vise's founders said). (Vise's founders disputed this, saying the company received updated financial data only once a day for its portfolio-construction engine.) And to address its "leaky funnel" of overestimating prospective sales, Vise was to stop outreach to new clients while it onboards and upsells to existing clients, the document said.

☆ A Locals’ Guide to Tokyo: The Must-See Stops Most Tourists Miss
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Suryatapa Bhattacharya | Photographs Andrew Faulk For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

THE SPRAWLING metropolis of Tokyo can overwhelm visitors with its giddy mix of the old and the fantastically futuristic. Take Ghibli Museum, a must-stop for anime fans. Set within the lush grounds of Inokashira Park, an imperial gift to the city in the Edo era (1603–1867), the candy-colored structure resembles a modernist villa with a kooky robot peeping over its rooftop. During the pandemic, this cosmopolitan city slowed but did not close down, from its super-efficient metro to the eclectic bar scene and revitalized districts, where delicious food awaits the adventurous. “If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it,” said Anthony Bourdain in his series “Parts Unknown.” Our four locals agree, and offer their favorite hot spots to explore for dining and much more.

☆ In the Whirl of ChatGPT, Startups See an Opening for Their AI Chips
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Isabelle Bousquette | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Generative AI and large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT require massive amounts of computing power to run, and typically rely on chips like Nvidia’s graphics-processing units, or GPUs, that are specialized for these types of calculations. Graphcore sells primarily to AI startups looking to build and train models at lower cost, he said, and the company is benefiting from the proliferation of those startups. Shane Rau, who leads International Data Corp.’s semiconductor research, said chip startups are increasingly pivoting to focus their products on supporting large language models. Still, he added, “you’re going to see a combination of real adaptation and marketing.”“There will be the pressure to say: ‘Hey, we’re already relevant, our AI chip technology’s already relevant to generative AI’,” said Mr. Rau. Some chip makers say they expect yet another surge in demand once businesses more widely adopt generative AI.

☆ Australian exporters rekindle China ties amid diplomatic thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Australian business leaders are following the political signals. Fortescue Metals (FMG.AX) founder Andrew Forrest, BHP (BHP.AX) head Mike Henry and Tim Ford, chief executive of tariff-hit winemaker Treasury Wine Estate (TWE.AX), have scheduled visits to China in March. At least 15 vessels carrying Australian coal were bound for China last week as traders bet already-reduced trade barriers will fall further. "People are starting to get on the front foot," Grain Trade Australia Chief Executive Pat O'Shannassy told Reuters. A shipment of Australian coal diverted to Vietnam last week after waiting at a Chinese port for five days without unloading.

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