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☆ Why Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is suing social media companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The lawsuit, which was filed in California federal court, said “the need is great” to continue to fund mental health outpatient programs, mobile crisis units, family-based mental health services, and in-school mental health programming and training to address the mental health of young people. Bucks County is joining a small but growing number of of school districts and families who have filed lawsuits against social media companies for their alleged impact on teen mental health. Some families have also filed wrongful death lawsuits against tech platforms, alleging their children’s social media addiction contributed to their suicides. Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, believes it will be “difficult” for counties and school districts to win lawsuits against social media companies. “There will be the issues of showing that the social media content was the cause of the harm that befell the children,” he said.

Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe Swiss Bank Employees Association, in a statement to Reuters, demanded that UBS keep job cuts to an "absolute minimum". The statement underscores the sense of unease in Switzerland, with its reputation as a global financial center on the line. Green Party lawmaker Gerhard Andrey said that Credit Suisse is "such a visible institute". "A few months ago, nobody would have thought that Credit Suisse would fail. "But also that we are upholding the reputation of the Swiss financial centre."

[1/3] Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan and Finland's President Sauli Niinisto shake hands during their meeting in Ankara, Turkey March 17, 2023. The parliaments of all 30 NATO members must ratify newcomers. "We have decided to initiate the ratification of Finland's accession process to NATO in our parliament," Erdogan told reporters after meeting with Niinisto, adding he hoped parliament would endorse the bid before May 14 elections. Amid simmering tensions with Sweden, Erdogan signalled in January that Turkey could endorse Helsinki ahead of Stockholm. Washington and other NATO members had hoped the two Nordic countries would join the alliance at a NATO summit set for July 11 in Vilnius.

☆ The man in charge of deporting Pablo Escobar's 'cocaine hippos' explains how he plans to fly 70 of them across the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Crystal Raypole | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Authorities plan to relocate 70 of the hippos living wild in Colombia, but it's not an easy task. Very carefully, according to David Echeverri López, head of Biodiversity Management, Protected Areas, and Ecosystem Services at Cornare in Colombia. So, authorities will continue pursuing other options, from sterilization to searching for other zoos and sanctuaries willing to take hippos. The thickness of a hippo's skin, and the density of their subcutaneous tissue, also makes it challenging to deliver enough anesthesia to keep them asleep for the right amount of time. Cornare has sterilized 13 hippos, López said, and relocated seven to zoos in Colombia.

Two lawmakers with knowledge of the exports and two former officials said the approvals reflected Britain’s increased willingness to support Taiwan. One of the lawmakers, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said authorising the export licences amounted to giving a "green light" to better equip Taiwan. It shows the government authorised 25 export licences to Taiwan during the first nine months of 2022 under the categories "components for submarines" and "technology for submarines." Taiwan has for decades been unable to buy conventional submarines from other countries because of their concerns of angering China. Asked about the decision to approve the increase in export licences, the official said: "You just don't do something like this without thinking through the implications very carefully."

☆ Percentage of senior women at European hedge funds halved since 2021 -Preqin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - The percentage of women holding senior positions at European hedge funds has more than halved since 2021, according to a report on Wednesday by data provider Preqin. The percentage of women holding general and limited partner roles in hedge funds in Europe has fallen to just 8% in 2023 from 17.4% in 2021, according to Preqin data. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe proportion of women in the hedge fund industry elsewhere in the world has dropped too, to 16.30% from 18.8% in North America, and to 18.9% from 21.2% in Asia over the same period. Of the 10 countries with the highest percentage of women holding senior positions at hedge funds, Hong Kong comes top with 17.3%, while Brazil has the lowest proportion, with 7%. Roughly 12% of UK hedge fund employees are women, according to the data.

☆ Percentage of senior women at European hedge funds halved since 2021
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

☆ Missing tax forms will 'definitely' delay your refund, expert warns. How to know which ones you need
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

One way to avoid possible issues is by getting organized with the necessary tax forms, known as information returns, sent to the IRS and taxpayers yearly. Here's why: If you skip tax forms received by the agency, the IRS systems may flag your return and mail you a notice, she explained. Whether you're working with a tax professional or filing on your own, here's what to know about your tax forms — and when to expect them. Regardless of your situation, it's important to have all the necessary forms handy before filing your return, Loyd said. watch nowMake a checklist with last year's returnIf you're not sure which tax forms to expect, experts say last year's tax return is a great starting point.

☆ The small European nation of Switzerland beat sky-high inflation. Here's how
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

watch nowZURICH — As many countries across the globe battle stubbornly high inflation, the rise in prices has been far less dramatic in Switzerland, a small mountainous nation in western Europe. The stability of the Swiss francAnother reason for Switzerland's relative price stability stems from the strong Swiss franc. While many currencies plunged against an appreciating U.S. dollar, the Swiss franc held steady amid volatility in Europe. The Swiss franc is heavily backed by large reserve of gold, bonds and financial assets, which help the Swiss National Bank ensure the currency's stability during times of volatility. A stronger Swiss franc provides an effective discount on those imports.

☆ Inflation is thrashing countries all around the world. But not Switzerland
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

As many countries across the globe battle sky-high inflation, Switzerland's economy is seeing something far less dramatic. Inflation in Switzerland hit a 29-year high of 3.5% in 2022. While high by Swiss standards, that figure is well below the double-digit inflation of comparable economies including the United States (9.1%), United Kingdom (11.1%) and euro zone (10.6%). "It's coming down a little bit," Tobias Straumann, professor of modern and economic history at the University of Zurich, told CNBC. So, what is it about the Swiss economy that's allowed it to largely sidestep inflation, and what can other countries learn from it?

☆ Peter Doig’s Art of Getting Lost
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Tobias Grey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The artist Peter Doig, born in Edinburgh in 1959, has led a peripatetic existence, living and working in Trinidad, Montreal, London and New York. He secured his early reputation in the 1990s with a series of large-scale landscape paintings full of atmospheric foreboding. One of these, “Swamped” (1990), set an auction record for the artist in November 2021, when it was sold at Christie’s New York for $39.9 million. Mr. Doig, 63, can take years to finish one of his distinctive figurative paintings. “Peter Doig,” a show of 12 new paintings and 20 works on paper that opened at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London earlier this month, provided him with just such a challenge.

☆ Sweden and Finland's NATO membership is a 'matter of time' amid Turkey negotiations, Swedish foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sweden and Finland are firmly on course to become NATO members this year, Sweden's foreign minister said Wednesday, amid strained negotiations with Turkey over their admittance. Turkey's opposition to Sweden and Finland's NATO membership centers around what, it says, is their harboring of militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Hungary is the other ratification holdout, though local media reported Tuesday that its Parliament could ratify NATO membership for Finland and Sweden early next month. That included preparing to deliver new legislation to the Swedish Parliament in March, he said. He also said that Swedish membership at the NATO summit in July was the goal.

☆ Sweden NATO membership is happening, Swedish foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSweden NATO membership is happening, Swedish foreign minister saysSweden has fulfilled conditions it agreed to at the NATO Summit in Madrid last summer, so it is time for the Turkish Parliament to begin the ratification process, Tobias Billström, Sweden's minister of foreign affairs, told CNBC.

☆ NBA roundup: Jayson Tatum's big 2nd half leads Celtics past Pistons
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Tatum had 24 points, including six 3-pointers, in the third quarter -- the most points he's scored in one quarter during his NBA career. Jalen Green scored 14 points before exiting in the second quarter due to a groin strain. Bane added 24 points and six rebounds, while Ja Morant tallied 20 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Utah's Kelly Olynyk had a double-double in the first half, and he wound up with 28 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. Jordan Clarkson added 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Walker Kessler logged 10 points and 14 rebounds.

☆ East Germany's last Communist premier dies aged 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz/File PhotoBERLIN, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Hans Modrow, who as the last Communist prime minister of East Germany oversaw democratic reforms that opened the way to German reunification, has died at age 95, Germany's hard-left Die Linke party said on Saturday. With this, our party loses an important personality," the party, successor to the East German Communist Party, said in a statement. Modrow saw himself as a reformer who had wanted to change the communist party from the inside and make it more democratic. He also served in the East German parliament for more than three decades. Modrow became East Germany's de facto leader after Egon Krenz resigned as SED leader on Dec. 5, 1990, leaving Modrow holding the highest state post.

☆ Glacial lake floods threaten communities in Asia, South America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The risk comes when a lake overfills, bursting through its natural barrier and sending a torrent of water rushing down mountain valleys. In the high mountains of Asia, some 9 million people live near more than 2,000 glacial lakes. "The impacts are already visible as the glacier is thinning and retreating," said Farooq Azam, a glaciologist at the Indian Institute of Technology Indore who monitors Chhota Shigri. During the same time period, Himalayan glacial lakes increased by about 9% in number, and 14% in area. More than 200 lakes now pose a very high hazard to Himalayan communities, according to 2022 research.

☆ NBA roundup: Knicks rally from 21-point deficit to beat 76ers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Miles McBride came off the bench to score 14 points while fellow reserve Isaiah Hartenstein had 14 rebounds. Joel Embiid (31 points, 14 rebounds), Tobias Harris (14 points, 10 rebounds) and James Harden (12 points, 12 assists) recorded double-doubles for the 76ers, who had their eight-game road winning streak snapped. De'Anthony Melton scored 14 points while Tyrese Maxey had 12 points and P.J. Scottie Barnes added 16 points and seven rebounds. Bruce Brown scored 16 and both Ish Smith and Zeke Nnaji scored 10 off the bench.

☆ Sundance Movies: Brett Kavanaugh and Steph Curry Docs, "Cat Person"
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Sundance Film Festival was back in person for the first time since 2020. In five days I saw eight films, and while I'm not a critic, I can affirm that not one of them was a clunker. Asked about the film's aspect ratio in an audience Q&A, Jalali said, "It was prettier that way." The bulk of the films I saw were more commercial, and four of them centered on relationships. And then there was "Cat Person," based on a 2017 New Yorker story about dating by Kristen Roupenian.

January saw just three meetings by central banks overseeing the 10 most heavily traded currencies with Canada delivering a 25 basis point hike while Norway and Japan stayed put. Policy rate hikes and cuts by central banks overseeing the 10 most traded currencies. Policy rate hikes and cuts by central banks overseeing the 10 most traded currencies. The January moves compare with five central banks hiking by 260 bps in December. "As we move through 2023, non-U.S. dollar central banks including most in emerging markets should become happier," he added.

LONDON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - For all intents and purposes, financial markets think the brutal central bank tightening cycle is done. That may seem like a leap of faith after 36 hours in which three major central banks lifted their main policy interest rates yet again - and warned of more to come. Elsewhere, the Bank of Canada already signalled last month that it's pausing its rate rises. Jason Draho, head of asset allocation Americas at UBS Global Wealth Management, reckons "there's little investment value in over-analyzing a central banker's mindset." And if the central banks themselves seemed inclined to allow markets to do their own thing this time around, then it was left to the IMF to act as head teacher.

In both the United States and Europe, the words of central bankers led investors to cut their estimates of the peak or "terminal" rate expected in the current tightening cycle. With financial conditions loosening despite rising policy rates, "central banks must...be resolute in their fight against inflation and ensure policy remains appropriately tight long enough to durably bring inflation back to target," Adrian and others wrote. The European Central Bank seems furthest from a likely stopping point. Combined, the statements mark the start of the endgame for central banks that were slow to recognize the onset of inflation last year before engaging in a record-setting round of rate increases. Central bankers long ago stopped using the word "transitory" in reference to inflation that proved faster and more persistent than any expected.

☆ NBA roundup: Magic rally to end Sixers' win streak
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

James Harden amassed 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Tobias Harris also had 17 points. Josh Giddey added 21 points for Oklahoma City, which has alternated wins and losses over the past six games. Patty Mills also finished with 21 points as he and Thomas combined to shoot 15 of 25 and hit eight 3-pointers. Bradley Beal added 21 points for the Wizards, with Kristaps Porzingis hitting for 17 and Kyle Kuzma scoring 16. Jeremy Sochan had 17 points, Zach Collins had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Stanley Johnson added 10 points.

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine backfired by uniting NATO, even as cracks emerged over nearly a year of fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

When Putin invaded Ukraine, he miscalculated the response from Western countries. NATO has been largely united in its response to Russia's war, consistently providing Kyiv with military aid. Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively succeeded in remaking the Western bloc, Araud said, adding that "the Western alliance is back." After the Soviet Union collapsed, both Finland and Sweden became NATO partner countries but stopped short of pursuing full membership. Even under the intense pressure of war, the alliance is "holding the way that they have in the past," he said.

On energy, the ministry has “completely overhauled the previous government’s Russia-friendly policy” to reduce Germany’s dependence on Russian natural gas, it said. “That tells you something.”Germany consistently underestimated the Russian threat and gave counterintelligence work a low priority, but that is changing now in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, experts and Western officials said. Last April, Berlin expelled 40 Russian Embassy employees for allegedly working for Russian intelligence services. Germany’s intelligence services failed to anticipate that Russia would invade Ukraine, a failure that has yet to be the subject of any publicly released “lessons learned” review. Such a review would show Germany is serious about altering its approach, the Western official said.

☆ The Sundance Film Festival stirs buzz, draws A-list stars, and screens movies that get you talking, but it can't hide the crisis facing independent filmmakers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Sundance Film Festival was back in person for the first time since 2020. A-list stars like Anne Hathaway and Jason Momoa were present to promote their buzzy films. It was impossible not to feel optimistic about the state of independent film at the opening weekend of the Sundance Film Festival. In five days I saw eight films, and while I'm not a critic, I can affirm that not one of them was a clunker. At an event like Sundance, even amid some hand-wringing over the future, the excitement is contagious.

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