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☆ Trailblazing former UK House of Commons Speaker Betty Boothroyd dies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( William James | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-British Speaker of the House of Commons Betty Boothroyd looks on during her visit to State Duma lower house of parliament October 14. LONDON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Betty Boothroyd, the trailblazing first female Speaker in Britain's House of Commons, has died aged 93, drawing tributes from across parliament for her distinctive, firm-but-fair style honed over a five-decade political career. She remains the only woman to serve as Speaker in the House of Commons. After retiring from the House of Commons in 2000, she was made a member of parliament's House of Lords upper chamber where she continued to contribute to political debate into her nineties. Tributes to Boothroyd poured in from across the political divide, hailing her formidable parliamentary presence and her personal warmth.

☆ James Abourezk, First Arab-American U.S. Senator, Dies at 92
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

James Abourezk represented South Dakota for single terms in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—James Abourezk, a South Dakota Democrat who grew up on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, became the first Arab-American U.S. senator and was known for his quick wit as he advocated for populist causes, died Friday. Mr. Abourezk died at his home in Sioux Falls on his birthday after entering hospice care earlier last week, his son Charles Abourezk said. While in hospice, James Abourezk was surrounded by his wife, Sanaa Abourezk, and other family members.

☆ I was the original voice of Siri. Even though Apple used my voice without my knowledge, it's been a fun ride.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Dorothy Cucci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Susan Bennett is the voice actor behind Apple's first iteration of Siri, released in 2011. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Susan Bennett, a voice actor based in Atlanta, Georgia. One day, while I was there recording, a voice actor for another commercial didn't show up. I unknowingly did the initial Siri recordings in 2005In July 2005, six years before Apple would introduce Siri, I made the recordings that would eventually be used for the famous personal assistant. I also connected with Karen Jacobsen, a voice actor and singer who was the original Australian Siri.

☆ An Anglo-Saxon Celebration of the Senses in Silver
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Jane Coombs | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In a smaller display case, mounted on a vertical panel, is a large, disc-shaped pin that gleams beneath a small light fixture. About 4.5 inches in diameter and slightly convex, this ninth-century accessory bears a magnificent etched design in burnished silver and niello, a black metallic substance pressed into the grooves. Originally worn at the shoulder to fasten a cloak, the Fuller Brooch (named after its 20th-century donor) is one of the best preserved examples of Anglo-Saxon metalwork and the earliest known depiction of the five senses in art. A similar mix of wit and profundity is readily apparent in the Fuller Brooch’s complex iconography. Many suspect it bears the influence of Alfred the Great (reigned 871–899), a learned Anglo-Saxon king who sparked a revival of religion and literacy after his subjects weathered years of brutal Viking attacks.

Ben Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials, answered the phone in bright spirits. The trials marked the first time in history that mass murderers were prosecuted for war crimes, and Ferencz was only 27 at the time. He went on to play a crucial role in securing compensation for Holocaust survivors and in the creation of the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Now he was sitting at his desk in Delray Beach, Florida, a 102-year-old man answering a reporter’s questions with wit and remarkable recall. “Goodbye, Mr. Ohlendorf.”What did he think about the war in Ukraine and the uptick in antisemitic incidents around the globe?

☆ One woman describes the chaos aboard the Amtrak Auto Train that was delayed for 20 hours: 'I will not be going on another train, that's for sure'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

An Amtrak Auto Train was severely delayed due to a freight derailment that occurred Monday night. The Auto Train is a 900-mile train service that goes from Lorton, Virginia, to Sanford, Florida. "I will not be going on another train, that's for sure," she told Insider on Wednesday, exhausted from her long journey. Amtrak told Insider that the incident forced the Auto Train to take a detour. One of the therapy dogs that were aboard the Amtrak Auto Train.

☆ It Would Be Hard for Ukraine to Lose the War to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Holman W. Jenkins | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

World War II revisionist historian Phillips O’Brien has been fighting the good fight lately on Twitter, upholding the thesis of his 2015 magnum opus, “How the War Was Won.” To wit, Russia’s contribution to victory in the world war was relatively minor after all. German weapons and materiel consumed in battle on the eastern front calculate out to a modest fraction of those destroyed or prevented from being created by the Western air and naval war against Germany’s productive capacity. He turns on its head an old belief that allied bombing was ineffective because Nazi production for a time continued to grow in absolute terms. Mr. O’Brien suggests the effect on potential output is what matters. According to Mr. O’Brien’s figures, the lion’s share of resources went to the Luftwaffe and German navy even at the height of the ground campaign in the east.

☆ Companies like Amazon and Salesforce use layoffs to cut their lowest performers — and recruiters know it
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Salesforce, Compass, and Amazon recently laid off thousands of what they called "low performers." What's more, a tight job market means that hiring managers can't afford to be so choosy. But as we enter the new year, and recession fears mount, the continued strength of tech hiring is an open question. Still, recruiters say that candidates laid off by virtue of supposedly poor performance are not disqualified from consideration — far from it. Some recruiters say they take an empathetic approach based on personal experience.

☆ Justice Jackson working on a memoir, titled ‘Lovely One’
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is working on a memoir. Jackson, the first Black woman appointed to the court, is calling the book “Lovely One.”“Mine has been an unlikely journey,” Jackson said in a statement released Thursday by Random House. This memoir marries the public record of my life with what is less known. Jackson joined the court last year after President Joe Biden named her to succeed the retiring Stephen Breyer. Justice Amy Coney Barrett has a deal with the Penguin Random House imprint Sentinel.

☆ Final farewell: From Sidney Poitier to Pope Emeritus Benedict a look back at the influential figures who died in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +55 min

Other world leaders who died in 2022 include former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in August. The final days of 2022 saw the loss of some exceptionally notable figures, including Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2022 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Dan Reeves, 77. A Cuban-born artist whose radiant color palette and geometric paintings were overlooked for decades before the art world took notice. A prolific character actor best known for playing villains and tough guys in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and other films.

☆ When to Paint Over Your Home’s Woodwork—and When to Leave It Alone
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Christina Poletto | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

TWO YEARS AGO when Kate Arends and her family moved into their 1956 rambler-style house in St. Paul, Minn., they encountered a thoroughly outdated kitchen that included uninterrupted oak paneling on the ceilings and walls. Not loving the wood’s golden hue, Ms. Arends, founder of lifestyle brand Wit & Delight, considered painting over it or sanding it down to a more neutral complexion, but the costs seemed prohibitive and the payoff uncertain.After the family had lived with the wood for a year, they decided to honor its hue but surround it with more modern décor. They painted Shaker-style cabinets a daring, un-woodsy powdery rose tone—Sulking Room Pink by Farrow & Ball—and further punched them up by installing slabs of Calacatta Viola marble with its trademark whorls of black and deep purple. An ink-blue gas range adds another shot of the unexpected. “If the wood is in great shape, the constraints of working within the shade or hue of the stain might seem limiting, but some really interesting solutions can come from those constraints,” said Ms. Arends.

☆ 10 money managers who quietly control the vast fortunes of Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin, the Waltons, and other big-name billionaires
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Many über-rich people don't outsource their wealth — they hire their own chief investment officers. He left SAC in 2005 for Dune Capital Management, but stayed in touch with Steve during his five-year term at the investment firm. Andrew oversees CPV's portfolio, which primarily comprises direct private investments such as Collectors Universe, a collectibles-authentication company, and the New York Mets. In 2011, Wildcat Capital Management was launched with Potter as president and chief investment officer. Since November 2021, Carland has also served as the interim chief investment officer for Builders Vision's asset arm.

☆ Michael Farr: These are 2023's top stock picks for what could be a rocky year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Michael K. Farr | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

Regarding the cloud, AMZN's Web Services business is the market leader in cloud infrastructure services. Moreover, the scale of AMZN's web services business provides many cost advantages as very few companies can compete with AMZN's investment spend and first-mover advantage. Over the long term, we would expect MDLZ to generate double-digit total returns, consisting of high-single digit EPS growth and the 2.3% dividend. There is a long runway remaining for cloud growth as companies slowly deal with legacy investments that still drive value but are not cloud-based. Management remains committed to its goal of high single-digit EPS growth in 2023, followed by sustained double-digit growth in 2024 and beyond.

☆ What the Jan. 6 Committee Report Misses
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The final House Jan. 6 committee report—at 845 pages—contains no surprises, and we’ve already assessed its lack of evidence to prove criminal behavior by former President Trump. The committee’s demonstration of his moral and political culpability—and shameful refusal to act immediately to stop the riot—is damning enough. But the report shouldn’t pass into history without noting what the evidence reveals that the media largely ignores. To wit, the failure of Mr. Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election shows that U.S. democratic institutions, and their checks and balances, held up well. Despite today’s partisan polarization, Mr. Trump’s effort had no chance to succeed because it was opposed by nearly all Republicans in positions of authority.

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” suffers from thin dialogue and predictability — dull trappings intrinsic to biopics. Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston in "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." To wit: Whitney Houston was a Black woman — ate Black, slept Black, lived Black, cried Black, walked Black and died Black. The most peculiar aspect of this criticism is the fact that nearly all American music is Black music. While Houston has mostly elided criticism that she wasn’t Black enough or didn’t make Black music, the spirit of this indictment lives on today.

☆ Drag queens take on Tennessee bill seeking to restrict their performances
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Andrew Davis | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

At 5 Points Diner & Bar in Nashville, Tenn., drag performer Veronika Electronika can often be seen strutting between brunch tables. The measure, known as Senate Bill 3, was introduced by Tennessee Republican Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson in November. Tennessee has proposed 31 anti-LGBTQ bills this year, the most of any state, according to Freedom for All Americans. “We tip our servers, we tip our bartenders, we tip our hair stylists, and we tip our drag queens,” she said. As for Veronika, she said she’s determined to rally enough opposition to scuttle Tennessee’s drag bill before it becomes state law.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence of human remains dubbed ‘Mona Lisa’ found on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Human remains have never been found on the moon, NASA’s chief historian told Reuters, but users online are sharing a video that is allegedly proof a sarcophagus named Mona Lisa was discovered during a moon mission. The same Mona Lisa figure appears in the background of a book by French author Thierry Speth titled, “Apollo 20, the Unknown Mission” (here). He added that there is “no evidence to substantiate” the claim that a figure named Mona Lisa was found on the moon. He also shared filmstrips of the Mona Lisa to that group that match the footage in the viral video (here). In one post (here), Speth shared a link to an interview he did about Apollo 20 (here).

☆ Will 'Emancipation' set Will Smith free from 'the slap?'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Three things to watch‘Emancipation’Will Smith (center) in a scene from "Emancipation." Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars for the next decade, but he is still eligible for nominations. ‘Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?’Idina Menzel attends the American Music Awards on November 20, 2016 in Los Angeles. A Boogie wit da Hoodie performs at the Rolling Loud Los Angeles festival on December 15, 2019 in Los Angeles. Something to sip onNick Cannon attends an event at the GRAMMY Museum on June 25 in Los Angeles.

Editor’s note: This article includes spoilers for “The White Lotus” season 2. “He kept saying, ‘Sabrina, the more bitchy you are, the more it’s going to work.’ And I really trusted him.”Sabrina Impacciatore in "The White Lotus." Jennifer Coolidge accepts the Emmy for her performance in season 1 of "The White Lotus." The brief, moan-filled love scene that follows gets about as close to a life-affirming event as an overnight stay at the White Lotus can. I was inventing magic rituals — literally, inventing rituals to get the role, to have Mike White in my life.

☆ Remembering Gary Strieker, who helped establish CNN's presence in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Tricia Escobedo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Gary Strieker had every reason to be a pessimist. Gary Strieker, who passed away in July 2022, helped establish CNN's presence in Africa. Courtesy Strieker family Born in the tiny Illinois farm town of Breese in 1944, Gary Gerard Strieker moved to San Diego, California at a young age. Courtesy Strieker family Strieker is remembered by his family and colleagues as a quiet, humble man who never lost his optimistic spirit or tireless energy for making the world a better place. Courtesy Strieker family Strieker was the network's only correspondent on the African continent for some time, covering the AIDs epidemic in the 1980s and other major moments in history, including the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

☆ Pain relief from marijuana may come from believing it helps, study says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A 2020 study, for example, found using marijuana before entering the hospital for a surgical procedure made pain during recovery significantly worse. In fact, the optimistic attitude generated by a placebo can be powerful enough to affect study results dramatically. A unique part of the study looked at the role of news and social media for the placebo effect in cannabis clinical trials, Jensen said. Researchers found positive media coverage after each of the cannabis clinical trials, even when the study results were less than spectacular, she said. “I don’t think you can explain the placebo effect or blame it on social media.

☆ Kevin McCarthy Plays by Nancy Pelosi’s Committee Rules
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy may or may not have the votes to be the next Speaker of the House, but he’s already playing by current Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s rules. To wit, he’s promised to kick three Democrats off committees the way the Pelosi Democrats kicked off two Republicans in the current Congress. Democrats ousted GOP Reps. Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene from their committees in an unprecedented move after they made offensive comments. Both of those Members do more to harm the image of Republicans than they do Democrats, but they were elected in 2020. We warned Democrats that Republicans would return the disfavor when they took power, and here we are.

☆ Colorado Springs suspect identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronounces, defense lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The alleged shooter facing possible hate crime charges in the fatal shooting of five people at a Colorado Springs gay nightclub is nonbinary, the suspect’s defense team says in court filings. The motive in the shooting was still under investigation, but authorities said Aldrich faces possible murder and hate crime charges. Hate crime charges would require proving that the shooter was motivated by bias, such as against the victims’ actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Club Q remains cordoned off by police tape on Nov. 22, 2022 in Colorado Springs. Local and federal authorities have declined to answer questions about why hate crime charges were being considered.

☆ This Is Your Brain on ‘Deep Reading.’ It’s Pretty Magnificent. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

But if over time, we have begun to elaborate this brain so that it includes deep reading, the unnatural apex of the achievement of reading is what deep reading provides. And every time I get off of a plane, I say to myself, I’m going to do that more. I’m going to sit and I’m going to have quiet time with a book. I’m going to bring this to me in a second, so I’m not just putting this on little kids. maryanne wolfThe first thing I do is understand the purpose of whatever I’m reading.

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☆ France's far-right party RN elects Bardella as new president
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Nov 5 (Reuters) - France's far-right Rassemblement National (RN) elected Jordan Bardella as its new president on Saturday, overwhelmingly backing the 27-year-old European Parliament member to succeed Marine Le Pen in the post. It is the first time the party will be led by someone who is not a member of the Le Pen family. I will we there where the country needs me," Le Pen told Saturday's party convention. Bardella, who hails from a tough working-class neighbourhood, has said he will continue her efforts to attract voters beyond the party's far-right core. Bardella has become one of Le Pen's most recognised lieutenants in French media.

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