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☆ Ukrainian intercepts show Russian soldiers’ anger at losses, disarray
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Story contains strong languageUkraine’s counteroffensive was in its second month when Andrey, a Russian soldier, called his wife to say his unit was taking heavy casualties. The expletive-laden intercepts, shared with Reuters by a Ukrainian intelligence source, provide a rare - albeit partial - glimpse into the conditions of some Russian soldiers as Kyiv prosecuted a major counteroffensive, which started in early June, two military analysts told Reuters. Ukraine has acknowledged that its efforts to recapture territory have been hindered by vast Russian minefields and well-prepared defensive lines. The Ukrainian intelligence source said they illustrated the challenges facing Russian soldiers but did not elaborate on how the recordings were selected. In the excerpts, several soldiers used profane language to describe Russian units that had taken heavy casualties and had been unable to retrieve their wounded.

Persons: Andrey, ” Andrey, “, Neil Melvin, Vladimir Putin, SBU, ” Maxim, Anna, Kupiansk, Maxim, Putin, ”, Elena, Alexei, “ Everyone’s, Dmitry Medvedev, Tom Balmforth, Filipp Lebedev, Eve Watling, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Security Service of Ukraine, Reuters, International Security, Royal United Services Institute, Russia’s Defence Ministry, Ukrainian General Staff, Lyman, Russia’s 52nd Regiment, U.S . Defence Intelligence Agency, “, ” Reuters, Russian Security Council Locations: Russian, Soviet, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Russia, London, Irkutsk, Russia’s, Afghanistan, Rubizhne, Ukraine’s, Luhansk

Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were by late August about 15% below the five-year average for this time of year, according to the Energy Information Administration. "We are living barrel to barrel and there is just no room for errors in the system," Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn said. Refiners have failed to build sizable stocks ahead of the seasonal surge in demand due to tight supplies of medium and heavy crude oil grades that are distillate-rich. Seasonal overhauls could take out around 2 million bpd of the country's 18.1 million bpd refining capacity, he said. "Even with soft demand, diesel inventories are stubbornly low, and cracks have rallied in search of supply or demand-side relief before winter," the analysts said.

Persons: Bing Guan, Phil Flynn, Refiners, Bjarne Schieldrop, SEB, Robert Yawger, Shariq Khan, Laura Sanicola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Angeles Refinery, California Air Resources Board, Energy Information Administration, Futures, Organization Petroleum Exporting, Saudi, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Angeles, California, Carson , California, U.S, Europe, OPEC, Ukraine, Garyville , Louisiana

☆ In Stephen King’s Latest, Beware the Kindly Old Professors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Flynn Berry | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

HOLLY, by Stephen KingA friend of mine has become a scaredy-cat since having a baby. She has been forcing herself to watch horror movies through parted fingers, hoping they will steel her nerves for the frights of everyday life. I thought of my friend’s experiment while reading “Holly,” the new mystery from Stephen King: Here is a thriller scary enough to test its readers’ mettle — and toughen them up. Holly Gibney, a private investigator, is attending her mother’s funeral when a woman calls asking for help finding her missing daughter. Mercedes’ and she just kind of stole the book and stole my heart.” Her presence balances the new novel’s darkness.

Persons: HOLLY, Stephen King, Holly, mettle, Holly Gibney, Kate Atkinson, Jackson Brodie, King, ”, she’s, “ Mr, Mercedes, Bill Hodges, ” King, Holly “, Mr, Mercedes ’

Thermal coal insurance rates rose more than 20% last year, it said, above the 7.3% rise in the benchmark Marsh Global Insurance Market Index. Insurance companies can be active in both primary insurance and reinsurance and have differing commitments on ESG for different parts of their business. "Establishing a mutual fund for the coal industry is a matter for the coal industry," a spokesperson for the Australian Department of Treasury said. "I'm talking about going beyond your normal UK-based markets and looking into Asia for funders and insurance cover," she added. Coal prices hit record highs in September last year as European countries scrambled to replace Russian gas, sending coal miners' profits soaring.

Persons: Philip Mostert, Seriti, Doug Gain, Gain, Ben Davis, Willis Towers Watson, Thungela, China's, Russia's, Switzerland's Chubb, Chubb, Russia's SOGAZ, Peter Bosshard, Nombasa Tsengwa, Tsengwa, Exxaro, Clara Denina, Sarah McFarlane, Nelson Banya, Elaine Hardcastle, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, Seriti, Thungela Resources, International Energy Agency, Reuters, Marsh Global Insurance, Whitehaven Coal, Whitehaven, Allianz, Swiss, Germany's Allianz, Insuramore, Australian Department of Treasury, South, Thomson Locations: American, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, South, Ukraine, Whitehaven, Munich, Australia, Asia, Europe

The weather system is not expected to hit major oil producing platforms in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. However, oil major Chevron Corp (CVX.N) evacuated some staff from three platforms in the region. Expectations of a steep decline in U.S. crude oil stockpiles have also benefited oil prices, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said. U.S. crude oil inventories are expected to have dropped by 3.3 million barrels in the latest week, according to an extended Reuters poll on Tuesday. "Even with the potential for some demand destruction (from hurricane Idalia), the coming crude oil supply squeeze is becoming more painfully obvious," said Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn.

Persons: Hurricane Idalia, Idalia, Robert Yawger, Yawger, Giovanni Staunovo, Baker Hughes, Phil Flynn, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Emily Chow, Josie Kao, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Companies, Florida U.S, Hurricane, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Federal Reserve, Hurricane Center, Labor, Chevron Corp, Chevron, UBS, American Petroleum Institute, Futures, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, BENGALURU, Florida, Miami, U.S . Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, Bengaluru, London, Singapore, Houston

Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday as Hurricane Idalia intensified as it headed towards Florida's Gulf Coast, threatening to hit crude oil supplies in an already tightening market. Brent crude oil futures rose 34 cents, or 0.4%, to $84.76 a barrel by 11:44 a.m. EDT [1544 GMT], while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 36 cents, or 0.5%, to $80.46 a barrel. U.S. crude oil inventories are expected to have dropped in the latest week, according to a preliminary Reuters poll on Monday. On the demand front, investors are monitoring data from major economies for further clues on interest rates this year and next. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday said the U.S. central bank may need to raise interest rates further to cool stubborn inflation.

Persons: Idalia, Phil Flynn, Jerome Powell, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Emily Chow, Louise Heavens, David Goodman, Mike Harrison Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Brent, U.S . West Texas, Chevron, Marathon Petroleum, American Petroleum Institute, Futures, Federal, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, Gulf, U.S, Florida, Cuba, Mexico, Garyville , Louisiana, United States, Beijing, Bengaluru, London, Singapore, Houston

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: 3M, CrowdStrike, Xpeng and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Xpeng — U.S.-traded shares of the Chinese electric vehicles company jumped 5% Monday premarket. Xpeng announced it would buy Didi's smart electric car business in a deal worth $744 million. Mister Car Wash — The car wash stock climbed 5.7% in premarket trading following an upgrade to overweight from neutral by Piper Sandler. The firm said Mister Car Wash has upside potential over the next two years. CrowdStrike — Shares of the cybersecurity company fell 2.6% in premarket trading after Morgan Stanley downgraded CrowdStrike to equal weight from overweight.

Persons: Xpeng, Piper Sandler, CrowdStrike, Morgan Stanley, Akero, Conor Flynn, Danaher, —, Jesse Pound, Sarah Min, Alexander Harring Organizations: Shanghai International Automobile Industry, National Exhibition, Convention Center, —, Bloomberg News, UBS, RPT, Kimco Realty, Boston, Boston Scientific Locations: Shanghai, China, Xpeng —

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: RPT Realty, Mister Car Wash, Boston Scientific, 3M and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

RPT Realty — RPT Realty shares surged 17% after Kimco Realty, an operator of open-air shopping centers, said it would acquire the real estate investment trust in a roughly $2 billion all-stock deal. Mister Car Wash — The car wash stock advanced 6.1% on the back of an upgrade to overweight from neutral by Piper Sandler. Alibaba Group , JD.com — Alibaba and JD.com each added more than 2% after the Chinese government announced measures to boost its stock market, including reducing a tax on trading. Xpeng — Shares of the Chinese electric car company jumped 5.3% after the firm said it is buying Didi's smart electric car development business in an exchange of shares worth $744 million. Meanwhile, Xpeng said it plans to develop an electric car for launch next year under a new mass market brand.

Persons: Conor Flynn, Piper Sandler, — CrowdStrike, Morgan Stanley, —, Xpeng, Wells, Sarah Akers, Micron Technology — Stocks, — CNBC's Alexander Harring, Hakyung Kim, Yun Li, Jesse Pound, Pia Singh, Samantha Subin Organizations: RPT, Realty, Kimco Realty, Boston, Boston Scientific, Bloomberg, 3M, Akero Therapeutics, Therapeutics, UBS, Alibaba, Micron Technology —, Micron Technology, Marvell Technology, Semiconductors Locations: Xpeng

REUTERS/Chen Aizhu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Oil futures climbed about 1% to a one-week high on Friday as U.S. diesel prices soared, the number of oil rigs dropped and a fire broke out at a refinery in Louisiana. Brent futures rose $1.12, or 1.3%, to settle at $84.48 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 78 cents, or 1.0%, to settle at $79.83. Diesel futures soared about 5% to a near seven-month high, boosting the diesel crack spread , a measure of refining profit margins, to its highest since January 2023. "The main thing was concern about diesel prices, the diesel crack spread and worries about diesel shortages when refineries go into maintenance," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. He added prices also drew support from a fire at a Louisiana refinery and a drop in U.S. oil rigs.

Persons: Chen Aizhu, Phil Flynn, Brent, WTI, Baker Hughes, Jerome Powell, Morgan Stanley, John Evans, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Muyu Xu, David Goodman, Jason Neely, David Gregorio, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: China National Petroleum Corporation, Dalian Petrochemical Corp, REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Diesel, Price Futures Group, U.S ., Federal, Thomson Locations: China, Dalian, Liaoning province, Louisiana, Brent, , Louisiana, U.S, Germany, Europe's, Norwegian, London, Washington, Singapore

Oleg Panteleev, head of the AviaPort aviation think-tank in Moscow, said Russian airlines have "solved the problem" of operating under Western sanctions. When those firms stopped providing services – Lufthansa Technik said it suspended sales to Russia from Feb. 28, 2022 – Russian airlines turned to a pool of far smaller suppliers. Ivan Melnicov, chief executive of Air Rock and another aircraft parts distributor in Moldova called Aerostage Services, denied selling products to Russia. Most of the shipments listed in Russian customs records as having been made by Air Rock and Aerostage took circuitous routes, transiting through the UAE or Kyrgyzstan. He said Skyparts had procured one of the Northrop Grumman parts from a U.S. supplier but denied ever sending it to Russia.

Persons: Paul Hanna, Northrop, Oleg Panteleev, Kirill Skuratov, Northrop Grumman, Ivan Melnicov, Melnicov, Aerostage, Kafolati Komil, Mahmadbashir Yakubov, Kafolati, Skyparts FZCO, Lisa Barrington, Saeed Abdulloev, Skyparts, Karine Bukrey, Ramses Turizm, Bukrey's, Ramazan, Bukrey, Akpinar, Nordwind, Valery Pashaev, Pashaev, Maurice Tamman, David Clarke, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Ural Airlines Airbus, Palma de Mallorca, REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., Northrop Grumman, Central Asia, Airbus, Boeing, Ural Airlines, Northrop, United Arab Emirates, Western, Reuters, of Commerce, European Union, Russian, S7 Airlines, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Aeroflot, Lufthansa Technik, Engineering, Rock Solutions, Air Rock, Aerostage Services, Airlines, UAE, Istikloliyat, Skyparts, Nordwind Airlines, Thomson Locations: Palma de, Spain, Russian, Yekaterinburg, U.S, Moscow, Russia, Central, Ukraine, Tajikistan, UAE, Turkey, China, Kyrgyzstan, Swiss, Germany, Moldova, Air, Moldovan, Saudi Arabia, Komilchon, Ural, Dubai, United Arab, Turkish, Antalya, Nusret, Technic, New York

☆ How Does Kristen Kish Feel at the Top of ‘Top Chef’? It’s Complicated.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Kim Severson | More About Kim Severson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Kristen is a megawatt,” said Dana Cowin, the former editor in chief of Food & Wine and a “Top Chef” judge for seven seasons. The Heir ApparentIt all started when Ms. Kish won “Top Chef" in 2013. “She is completely a creature of the franchise,” said Francis Lam, a frequent guest host and the vice president and editor in chief of Clarkson Potter, which published “Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques” in 2017. “On some level she can be a little bit of a cipher. Executives at NBCUniversal, which owns Bravo, the network it airs on, never interviewed anyone else, said Ryan Flynn, a senior vice president.

Persons: Kristen, ”, Dana Cowin, Kish, She’s, Gregory Gourdet, Francis Lam, Clarkson Potter, Kristen Kish, Lakshmi, Casey Kriley, Ryan Flynn Organizations: Food &, Ms, Bravo Locations: Aspen, Colo, “, Portland, NBCUniversal

Human Rights Watch/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI/HARAR, Ethiopia, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian border guards have killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants, including women and children, who attempted enter the kingdom along its mountainous border with Yemen, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday. In a 73-page report, the rights group said Saudi guards used explosive weapons to kill some migrants and shot at others from close range. Saudi authorities have also strongly denied allegations made by U.N. officials in 2022 that border guards systematically killed migrants last year. HRW said it based its report on witness testimony as well as 350 videos and photos of wounded and killed migrants, and satellite imagery showing the location of Saudi Arabian guard posts. A letter issued by the kingdom's U.N. mission in March 2023 rejected the allegation, saying that Saudi border security regulations "ensure humane treatment...no form of mistreatment or torture is tolerated."

Persons: U.N, Nadia Hardman, Hardman, Mustafa Sofian Mohammed, Mustafa, Sofian Mohammed Abdulla, Mustafa's, Stephane Dujarric, Andrew Mills, Emma Farge, Daphne Psaledakis, Dawit, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Human Rights, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Rights Watch, Saudi, Ethiopian, Reuters, State Department, Al, Al Thawra Hospital, International Organization for Migration, Hallelujah, HRW, Rehabilitation, Torture, UN Human Rights, Gulf Bureau, Tiksa, Milan Pavicic, Thomson Locations: Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Rights DUBAI, HARAR, Saudi Arabian, Saudi, Addis Ababa, U.S, Tigray, Horn of Africa, Aden, Ethiopian, Harar, Al Thawra, Sanaa, Addis, New York, Gulf, Tiksa Negeri, Milan, Gdansk, Geneva, Washington

Playing a quiet but important role in shaping the governor's remarks was the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, America's top conservative think tank, according to two people with knowledge of their interactions. The range and frequency of those discussions with DeSantis' campaign have not been previously reported. In addition to Carmack, the policy director, at least seven other Heritage staffers have taken positions in the DeSantis campaign. Whether DeSantis' connection to the think tank has been helpful for his campaign is an open question. Following the controversial March 13 statement, Heritage officials had a suggestion for the campaign, according to one person with knowledge of the discussions.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Kevin Roberts, Tucker Carlson, DeSantis, Donald Trump, Bryan Griffin, Heritage, Griffin, Generra Peck, Trump, Noah Weinrich, Weinrich, Roberts, Dustin Carmack, Carmack, Steve Bradbury, Bradbury, Joe Biden's, David Dewhirst, Gram Slattery, Ross Colvin, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Florida, The Heritage Foundation, Gaylord National Resort, Center, REUTERS, Sarah, Fox News, Heritage Foundation, Senior Heritage, Heritage, Republican, TALLAHASSEE, Mar, Trump, Justice Department, Department of Education, FBI, Department of Transportation, Democratic Party, Top Heritage, Economic, Reuters, Republican Party, Fox Nation, Thomson Locations: National Harbor, M.D, WASHINGTON, Florida, Ukraine, United States, Washington, U.S, Russia, China, Milwaukee, Tallahassee , Florida, Tallahassee

The "AI for business" diploma offers training in data and AI for client leaders, practitioners, and WPP executives, according to WPP's website. The team work under AI expert Daniel Hulme who was appointed chief AI officer at WPP two years ago. While lawmakers and philosophers alike still debate whether content produced by generative AI models amounts to anything like human creativity, advertisers have already begun using the technology in their promotional campaigns. Unilever, which owns more than 400 brands including Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, has its own generative AI technology that can write product descriptions for retailers' websites and digital commerce sites, it said. The company's TRESemmé haircare brand has used its AI content generator for written content and its automation tool for visual content on Amazon.co.uk (AMZN.O).

Persons: Mark Read, Read, we've, Mondelez, Shah Rukh Khan, Daniel Hulme, Nestle, Gandon, Ray, Johannes Vermeer's, Aaron Rajan, Nestle's Gandon, Martin Sorrell, You've, Ben King, Richa Naidu, Martin Coulter, Matt Scuffham, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Nestle, Unilever, Marketing, Investment, Reuters, WPP, Oreo, Cadbury, Bollywood, YouTube, Facebook, University of Oxford, Global, Google, Go, Market Technology, Consumer, Walmart, Carrefour, Kroger, Thomson Locations: Africa, India, London, Swiss, Okta

☆ OpenAI acquires start-up Global Illumination to work on core products, ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 16 (Reuters) - OpenAI said on Wednesday it had acquired digital products company Global Illumination, in what comes as the first known acquisition by the storied artificial intelligence firm. "The entire (Global Illumination) team has joined OpenAI to work on our core products including ChatGPT," OpenAI said. New York-based Global Illumination was founded in 2021 by Thomas Dimson, Taylor Gordon and Joey Flynn, all of whom have previously worked at Meta Platforms' (META.O) Instagram. Global Illumination most recently worked on open-source technology related to online game production. Dimson is credited with drafting some of the original code for Instagram's content ranking algorithms, according to his personal website.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, OpenAI, Thomas Dimson, Taylor Gordon, Joey Flynn, Dimson, Yuvraj Malik, Maju Samuel Organizations: REUTERS, Meta, Thomson Locations: New York, Bengaluru

☆ Trump’s allies have long faced legal troubles, but this time is different because he is too
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

They were the latest members of the former president’s inner circle to find out that associating with Trump could put them on cracking legal ice. There is increasing speculation over why Meadows was charged in Georgia but not in special counsel Jack Smith’s federal investigation into Trump’s election stealing efforts. Legal experts wonder whether he could be cooperating with that probe in a sign of peril for the former president. Trump’s inner circles have long faced legal problemsTrump’s co-defendants in the Georgia case are not the first to find out that the ex-president’s intolerance for the rules and conventions that normally constrain presidencies can lead them into treacherous waters. Trump once vowed to bring only “the best people” to Washington, but his acolytes often find themselves dragged into his legal storms.

Persons: Donald, –, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani –, Trump’s, ”, Giuliani, bruiser, “, “ I’m, “ We’re, Mark Meadows, Meadows, Jack, John Eastman, Mike Pence, Harvey Silverglate, Sidney Powell –, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira –, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, Robert Mueller’s, Steve Bannon, Bannon, ” Bannon, Allen Weisselberg, Michael Cohen, Cohen, ” Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Stormy Daniels, extravagantly, Flynn, Manafort, Roger Stone, won’t, ’, District Attorney Fani Willis –, Ty Cobb, CNN’s Erin Burnett, wouldn’t, Willis, ” Cobb Organizations: CNN, Trump, New, New York City, WABC, White House, Caucus, White, Republican, Former Trump, Trump Organization, Manhattan, Attorney, Trump’s, Save, District Attorney Locations: Georgia, Fulton, New York, Ukraine, North Carolina, Washington, Meadows, Fulton County , Georgia, Lago, Trump, Russia, Manhattan, Congress

☆ Leaked document reveals 'Maverick,' a new Amazon AI security initiative led by Uber's former CISO
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The goal is to build automation tools for AI security and foster partnerships across the company. "In Q2 2023, Amazon Security created the Maverick program to ensure LLM based experiences uphold our high security standards to protect customer data and trust. The Amazon Web Services cloud unit also created an independent team focused on helping customers use generative AI, Insider previously reported . The new Maverick initiative wants to "understand GenAI risks" to Amazon and create "centralized GenAI security testing tools," according to the internal document. The second involves partnering with security teams to "create GenAI security guidance and add specific tasks to existing security mechanisms," the document added.

Persons: John, Flynn, Uber's CISO, Adam Montgomery, Maverick, Andy Jassy, LLMs, Jassy Organizations: Amazon, Amazon Security, Excellence, Amazon's, Microsoft, Google, Services, AWS

☆ AI is going to eliminate way more jobs than anyone realizes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Emil Skandul | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

We didn't see the internet coming, but AI is within viewThe adoption of groundbreaking technology is often hard to predict. The World Economic Forum estimated 83 million jobs worldwide would be lost over the next five years because of AI, with 69 million jobs created — that leaves 14 million jobs that will cease to exist during that timeframe. In the US, the knowledge-worker class is estimated to be nearly 100 million workers, one out of three Americans. The small and large compounding effects of productivity growth across many industries are central to the growth trajectory and the long-run effects of AI. This is an alarmingly trivial amount for an economy of $25 trillion GDP and over 150 million workers.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Joseph Schumpeter, Bill Gates, David Letterman, Paul Krugman, Erik Brynjolfsson, —, Brynjolfsson, Robert Solow, Robert Gordon, provocatively, It's, Gordon, David Autor, Maria Flynn, Flynn, –, Georgia –, Emil Skandul, Tony Blair Organizations: McKinsey, Newsweek, Stanford University, Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco, Economic, International Labor Organization, Organization for Economic Co, Development, MIT, Congressional, Office, Department of Labor, Tony Blair Institute Locations: Washington, Singapore, New York, Georgia

☆ The Maui Fire Spared Lahaina’s Banyan Tree - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Julia Flynn Siler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The historic Hawaiian port town’s massive Banyan tree — standing over 60 feet tall with a canopy that has grown to cover more than half an acre — has been the backdrop for endless selfies. Lahaina’s Ficus benghalensis, or banyan fig, burst into flames in the massive wildfire that killed at least 90 people and turned countless buildings into char. Weighed against the horrific loss of lives and the nearly complete destruction of a town, the potential loss of a single, gigantic tree may seem trivial. But this magnificent specimen, believed to have been the largest tree in the Hawaiian Islands, has touched the hearts of many in Hawaii and elsewhere. The fact that the tree is charred but still standing offers us the hope of both the tree and the town’s eventual revival.

Persons: It’s Locations: Lahaina, Hawaiian, Hawaii

☆ Oil dips as demand concerns mount; eyes on US inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) rose by 5.9 million barrels in the last week to 445.6 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 0.6 million-barrel rise, U.S. Energy Information Administration data showed on Wednesday. U.S. crude oil exports fell by 2.9 million barrels per day last week, the steepest fall on record, to 2.36 million barrels per day (bpd), according to the data. Concerns over LNG supply drove European gas prices to a nearly 2-month high on Wednesday and buoyed the demand outlook for diesel as alternative fuel. However, oil prices remained supported by supply tightness worries as tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea region could threaten shipment of Russian oil. Top exporter Saudi Arabia's plans to extend its voluntary production cut of 1 million barrels per day for another month to include September.

Persons: Johan Sverdrup, Carina Johansen, NTB, Brent, Phil Flynn, Priyanka Sachdeva, Phillip Nova, Jun Rong, Muyu Xu, Laura Sanicola, Muralikumar Organizations: West Texas, U.S . Energy, Price Futures, Index, CPI, Woodside Energy Group, IG, Saudi, Thomson Locations: North, China, U.S, ., United States, Chevron, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Washington

☆ Exclusive: Kremlin aide who brings Ukrainian children to Russia associated online with neo-Nazism
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Anton Zverev | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Aug 9 (Reuters) - A Kremlin official involved in what international prosecutors call the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia was associated online as a teenager with white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements, Reuters has found. He deleted that link the day Reuters submitted its questions about his online activity to his employer. In a statement responding to Reuters questions, Petrov said: "Unequivocally, I never had, nor do I have, any links to neo-Nazi organisations. When Russia gave a presentation on April 5 this year to the United Nations Security Council to rebut allegations about its treatment of Ukrainian children, Petrov was among the speakers. In a video shared during that presentation, Petrov was shown alongside children at a Russian-organised camp for Ukrainian children.

Persons: Alexei Petrov, Petrov, Maria Lvova, Vladimir Putin, Belova, Adolf Hitler, Reuters couldn't, Hitler, David Lane, Anton Zverev, Christian Lowe, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Kremlin, Reuters, Skype, United Nations Security Council, Defamation League, Fare, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, London, Nazi, Russian

☆ Morgan Stanley sees Eli Lilly shares rallying on data showing heart benefit of Novo's obesity drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk 's promising data on its obesity drug Wegovy should benefit Eli Lilly 's pipeline and its stock, according to Morgan Stanley. Shares of Novo Nordisk soared 15% in early trading Tuesday after late-stage trial data showed that Wegovy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes, by 20%, compared with a placebo. "This is above our expectations and our prior analysis," Morgan Stanley analyst Terence Flynn said. Flynn has an overweight rating on Eli Lilly and a $560 12-month price target, which would translate into a 23% gain from Monday's close of $454.08. Eli Lilly raised its full-year guidance Tuesday as second-quarter profit jumped 85% from the same period a year ago on strong sales resulting from its drug pipeline.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley, Terence Flynn, Eli Lilly's, Flynn, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nordisk, Novo Nordisk Locations: Indianapolis

☆ Insight: Rising domestic violence is a hidden front in Ukraine's war
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Layli Foroudi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Borniakova, an alleged victim of domestic violence by her husband, died in January, her body badly bruised. Registered cases of domestic violence in Ukraine initially fell after Russia invaded in February 2022, as millions of people fled the fighting. The office created a unit to oversee domestic violence court procedures in February, Usenko said. "If we can at least get a charge of domestic violence it will be a victory," Seheda said, adding that there was still a view among some judges and police officers that domestic violence was a private matter to be settled between a couple. She said an increase in registered domestic violence cases was partly a reflection that police are giving more attention to the issue.

Persons: Yakov Borniakov, Alina Smutko, Borniakova, Borniakova's, Kateryna Vedrentseva, Kateryna Levchenko, Tetyana Pogorila, Pogorila, Yulia Usenko, Usenko, Lilia Kalytiuk, Borniakov, Olga Dmitrichenko, Yulia Seheda, Seheda, Dmitrichenko, Layli Foroudi, Mike Collett, White, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Reuters, Dnipro, . Police, United Nations Population Fund, Police, Department for, Ukraine's, Prosecutor's, Dnipro . Police, Thomson Locations: Dnipro, Ukraine, DNIPRO, Russia, CENTRAL, Lviv

For investors looking to weed out climate laggards from portfolios, these are vital questions but existing guidelines on emissions reporting and new rules due to come in for the United States and Europe are unlikely to provide hard answers. The United States is on track to announce similar rules this year and the corporate standard, first launched in 2001 and revised in 2004, is also embedded in other international emissions reporting standards. Nonetheless, many investors scrutinise carbon emissions data to gauge how polluting a company is, how it compares with rivals and how this might affect its bottom line and share price. Another area of investor concern is how companies account for their own energy use, or Scope 2 emissions. The GHGP allows companies to buy green energy to offset their emissions, using contractual instruments such as renewable energy certificates, and reflect this in their reporting.

Persons: Fabrizio Bensch, Vanessa Bingle, David Lubin, Subaru, SCA's Lubin, Laura Kane, Kane, Jimmy Jia, Jia, abrdn, Pedro Faria, Faria, Pankaj Bhatia, Douglas Gillison, Sumanta Sen, Dan Flynn, David Clarke Organizations: REUTERS, Toyota, Shell, Greenhouse, World Business, Sustainable Development, World Resources Institute, Reuters, Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, Analytics, Subaru, North, Voya Investment Management, Voya, EU, Sustainability, IFRS, Oxford Smith School of Enterprise, Reuters Graphics, U.S . Securities, Exchange, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, United States, Europe, Japan, North America, U.S, Britain, British, EU

☆ A lawyer argued that mass riots triggered by Trump's power grab could be crushed by US troops: indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The new indictment against Donald Trump describes how he tried to stay in power after losing the 2020 election. But Jeffrey Clark, an alleged co-conspirator in the new indictment against Trump and a top Justice Department lawyer at the time, had a different answer: Call in the troops. On the same day that Clark suggested using the Insurrection Act, according to the indictment, Clark had also maneuvered to try to make himself Acting Attorney General. His aides drafted a proclamation to use the law, according to The New York Times, but Trump never followed through. Even as Trump considered putting Clark in charge of the Justice Department, he knew he truly lost the election, according to the indictment.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jeffrey Clark, Joe Biden, —, Clark, Jeffrey Rosen, Rosen, Jack Smith, who's, Smith, Biden's, Michael Flynn, Stewart Rhodes, Mark Milley, it's, Milley Organizations: White, Service, Trump, Justice Department, DC, Justice, Capitol, The New York Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, United States, Washington , DC

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