DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Ron DeSantis was advised to write 'LIKABLE' at the top of his notepad as a reminder to himself to not get aggressive, old 2018 debate prep video shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis was advised to write 'LIKABLE' on his notepad before a 2018 debate. An advisor told DeSantis to tone down his aggressiveness in a debate prep video obtained by ABC News. "You have to write in all caps at the top of the pad, 'LIKABLE,'" the advisor off camera said. Ron DeSantis was advised by an aide to find ways to stay "likable" and tone down his aggressiveness while speaking in debates. According to ABC News, the advisor later told DeSantis: "You want to have that likable, dismissive tone, and not condescending."

☆ Regional bank stocks rebound on Friday, but still headed for steep losses on the week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Regional bank stocks were poised to bounce back on Friday, but the beaten down sector was still on track for steep losses for the week after the failure of First Republic. PacWest entered down more than 68% for the week and closed at just $3.17 per share on Thursday. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase upgraded Western Alliance, Zions and Comerica to overweight on Friday, saying the bank stocks "appear substantially mispriced to us." Many on Wall Street are looking to Washington for regulatory changes to calm the banking system, such as potentially expanding deposit insurance rules. Some have raised the possibility of temporarily banning short-selling on bank stocks.

☆ In Texas, Aimless Gunfire Rattles Residents, but It’s Hard to Stop
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( J. David Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

CLEVELAND, Texas — The sound of gunfire — whether from hunting, or target practice, or celebration — is common in much of rural America. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than in Texas, where the occasional volley rarely raises alarm. Officers did not arrive until after the neighbor had stormed into the family’s house and killed five people, including a 9-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, with his AR-15-style rifle. More than 250 officers from a dozen agencies were working to find Mr. Oropesa, a Mexican immigrant who had been deported four times before. Law enforcement officials feared that he could be heading to Mexico, or may have already arrived there.

☆ Bret Taylor was sidelined as Salesforce's co-CEO and resigned after a failed play to become sole CEO, company insiders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Salesforce's co-CEO and heir apparent Bret Taylor shocked the industry when he resigned last year. It was a disappointment," Benioff told Insider. Salesforce's co-CEO and heir apparent Bret Taylor shocked the industry when he resigned on Nov. 30 — one year after taking the job. Taylor made an "abrupt" play to become Salesforce's sole CEO, according to a former executive familiar with the matter. Taylor joined Salesforce in 2016 after it acquired Quip, a productivity software startup founded by Taylor, for $750 million.

☆ Fox News has lost half its 8 p.m. audience in just days since Tucker Carlson's firing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Fox News has lost about half of its 8 p.m. audience in the days following Tucker Carlson's firing. 1.33 million viewers tuned in on Wednesday, compared to 2.65 million for Carlson's unexpected final show last Friday. The ratings data from Nielsen has been tracked by CNN's Oliver Darcy every day since Carlson was fired. Carlson's last show Friday drew 2.65 million viewers, itself down from the other four days of last week which each topped 3 million, and Tuesday and Wednesday this week fell to 1.7 million and 1.33 million viewers, CNN reported. The viewers appear to be opting for other conservative networks, as Darcy reported that Newsmax's 8 p.m. hour totaled 510,000 viewers, tripling the audience they drew at the same time last Wednesday.

REUTERS/Katherine Taylor/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - A former Harvard University professor was sentenced on Wednesday to six months' house arrest for lying about his ties to a China-run recruitment program, prosecutors said, in one of the highest-profile cases resulting from a crackdown on Chinese influence on U.S. research. Lieber was sentenced to two days in prison - time that he had already served following his arrest - and half a year of house arrest with a fine of $50,000, prosecutors said. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and a restitution to the Internal Revenue Service of $33,600, according to prosecutors. The failed cases included another one in Boston in which prosecutors in January 2022 dropped charges against Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Gang Chen for concealing his ties to China when seeking grant money. Prosecutors said Lieber failed to report his salary on his 2013 and 2014 income tax returns and for two years failed to report the bank account.

CNN —The 2-year-old boy found last month in an alligator’s mouth in a St. Petersburg, Florida, lake died of drowning, police say. The boy was put in the lake by his father, who is charged in both deaths, according to a St. Petersburg police affidavit. The Pinellas County medical examiner confirmed Monday that the cause of death was drowning, St. Petersburg police told CNN. Thomas Mosley St. Petersburg PoliceThe toddler’s father, Thomas Mosley, 21, is facing two counts of first-degree murder. They found Jeffery inside with “apparent cuts and stabs in excess of 100 wounds,” according to the affidavit.

☆ Alberta Energy Regulator to probe wildlife death at Suncor tailings pond
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 22 (Reuters) - The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has started an investigation into the death of 32 waterfowl at a Suncor Energy Inc (SU.TO) tailings pond on its Base Mine Site, 29 km (18 miles) north of Fort McMurray. It was detected during an oilsands bird contact monitoring program survey, according to a statement from the regulator. The company has further discovered two additional dead wildlife, one muskrat and one vole, at the site since it notified the AER. Suncor said it had begun an investigation after finding the dead wildlife on Friday, on the edge of a tailings pond at the Base Plant site during one of its regular, required checks. "At the time of discovery, all bird deterrent systems at Base Plant were active."

April 18 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc's (GS.N) profit fell 19% as dealmaking and bond trading slumped in the first quarter and it lost money on the sale of some assets in its consumer business. Goldman booked a $470 million loss on the sale of some loans from Marcus, dragging down first quarter results. The logo for Goldman Sachs is seen on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. But deposits held in the Marcus business remain core to Goldman and are not under review, a source familiar with the matter had told Reuters earlier this year. Goldman's lackluster trading results contrast with those of Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), which also reported earnings on Tuesday.

April 13 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever. The Asian/Pacific calendar is pretty light on Thursday, with Chinese trade and Australian unemployment figures for March the main events. Music to investors' - and Fed officials' - ears, but the feelgood factor was snuffed out by the Fed minutes. Fed officials are right to be worried about credit conditions. Recent public remarks from Fed officials suggest they are less worried now.

☆ Goldman Sachs says home prices are dropping rapidly in some US cities. Here are the top 20 cities ranked, along with median prices and affordability ratings for each.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Below is a list of 20 cities with the slowest home-price growth from the highest to lowest rates. Credit strategists at Goldman Sachs expect a more muted impact on residential lending relative to other types like business and commercial. "In our view, metro-level home prices will be more instructive than national prices when monitoring mortgage credit stress," Karoui said in a recent client note. To be sure, the housing market is more resilient to tighter standards now compared to 2008, when subprime mortgages caused the crisis. That very experience led to stricter scrutiny of lending requirements, causing the housing market to be better prepared to deal with challenging economic environments.

NEW YORK, April 12 (Reuters) - A new version of a lawsuit accusing JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) of aiding in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking includes claims that the bank ignored pleas to cut ties with the financier, and that someone joked about whether Epstein knew Miley Cyrus. In a complaint made public on Wednesday, the U.S. Virgin Islands said JPMorgan compliance officials urged the bank to sever ties with Epstein years before it did so in 2013. The cases in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York are: Jane Doe 1 v JPMorgan Chase & Co, No. 22-10019; Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands v JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, No. 22-10904; and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA v Staley, in Nos.

☆ Actor Jeremy Renner says horrific snowplow accident was 'my mistake'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LOS ANGELES, April 6 (Reuters) - Oscar-nominated actor Jeremy Renner said he was at fault in a New Year's Day snowplow accident that left him close to death and that he apologized to his family for putting them through the ordeal. Renner stuck one foot out of the plow to look back at Alex and did not set the parking brake. Renner, then worried that the snowplow would roll back and crush his nephew, said he tried to jump back into the vehicle to stop it. Renner was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor for his work in 2008 film "The Hurt Locker" and for best supporting actor for his work in 2010 movie "The Town." Renner credited the support of his family with helping him survive the snowplow accident.

☆ Think it's too late to switch jobs? Tell that to 'Asia's best female chef'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Johanne Siy is head chef at one of Singapore's premier dining destinations, Lolla — where Asian-inspired modern European flavors dominate the menu. Ten years on, Siy is now head chef at one of Singapore's premier dining destinations, Lolla — where Asian-inspired modern European flavors dominate the menu. Just last week, she was named "Asia's Best Female Chef" at Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 — the first Singapore-based chef to win. Johanne Siy Chef, Lolla"I was just so excited to be in the kitchen. She then built up an impressive resume with stints in New York, Sweden and Denmark before stepping into the role of head chef at Lolla.

☆ Formula One under scrutiny over balance between safety and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Stewards had hoped racing would decide the winner but the carnage only served to trigger a third red flag and a processional win behind a safety car for Red Bull's Max Verstappen. DAMAGE BILLSStriking the right balance between safety and sport has long challenged Formula One, which moved to tighten its safety car rules after controversy hit the title-deciding 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Officials no longer have such discretion but the application of safety car rules continues to flummox drivers and team bosses alike. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he was not sure when to expect a standard safety car versus a virtual one or a red flag after incidents. "Standing starts are the most vulnerable part of any grand prix and we did three of them," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

☆ Slower China factory activity growth challenges economic recovery prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China's economic activity picked up in the first two months of 2023 as consumption and infrastructure investment drove a recovery after the end of COVID-19 disruptions and retail sales swung back to growth. "However, amid rapidly worsening geopolitical tensions and financial concerns outside of China, this may not last long," they added in a note. While business and consumer sentiment is starting to pick up, the manufacturing sector remains under pressure amid sluggish global demand and stubbornly high costs. Any fallout from a recent crisis of confidence in the global banking sector could also affect demand for China's goods, adding to pressure on manufacturers. Factory activity was hit by slowing growth in production and customer demand, with the output and new orders sub-indexes showing declines from February's levels.

☆ Former Tucker Carlson producer says Fox News lawyers coerced her into saying coworkers were trustworthy: 'They're activists, not journalists'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The New York lawsuit alleges that Fox News executives and producers denied her promotions and salary adjustments that would bring her in line with male colleagues. In another section of the lawsuit, Grossberg alleges a producer on Carlson's show repeatedly made antisemitic remarks. In her revised deposition, Grossberg answers that Bartiromo — one of the Fox News hosts who platformed Powell — has a "responsibility to push back against untrue statements with fact." "That did not happen with respect to Dominion-related reporting," Grossberg claims. "Ms. Grossberg ignored these communications and chose to file her complaint without taking any steps to protect those portions containing Fox's privileged information."

☆ A professor says he's stunned that ChatGPT went from a D grade on his economics test to an A in just 3 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An economics professor was stunned by the progress ChatGPT made in an exam in just three months. Bryan Caplan of George Mason University said the chatbot got a D in his economics test in January. Bryan Caplan, an economics professor at George Mason University, told Insider the latest version of ChatGPT could now be responsible for the first big bet he's ever lost. Caplan told Insider the bot failed to understand basic concepts, such as the principle of comparative and absolute advantage. "I'm probably going to lose this AI bet but I am totally on board to do a bunch more end-of-the-world AI bets because I think these people are out of their minds."

☆ Asian shares surge, dollar slips after Fed hints at rate pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, March 23 (Reuters) - Asian shares spiked on Thursday and the dollar slid after the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted it could pause interest rate rises following turmoil in the banking sector, though it also reiterated its commitment to fighting sticky inflation. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 1% to touch a two-week high of 515.62. Wall Street ended sharply lower overnight as investors digested the Fed's policy statement and comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference. In the currency market, the dollar index , which measures the dollar against other major currencies, fell nearly 0.5% to fresh seven week low of 101.92. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was down 10 basis points at 3.881%.

☆ Asian shares subdued after Fed hints at rate pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, March 23 (Reuters) - Asian shares inched higher on Thursday after the Federal Reserve hinted it could pause interest rate hikes following turmoil in the banking sector, though it also reiterated its commitment to fighting sticky inflation. In a widely expected move, the Fed raised interest rates by 25 basis points but recast its outlook to a more cautious stance as a result of the banking stress. In the currency market, the dollar index fell 0.137%, with the euro up 0.25% at $1.0882. The yield on 10-year Treasury notes was down 3.2 basis points at 3.468%, while the 30-year Treasury bond was down 1.5 basis points to 3.682%. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, was down 1.1 basis points at 3.970%.

☆ The current banking crisis is a 'worldwide phenomenon' that started long before SVB failed, Harvard professor and former IMF economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chaos in the banking sector was a long time coming, according to a former IMF chief economist. The crisis was, in part, caused by banks betting on a prolonged period of ultra-low rates, Kenneth Rogoff said. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. Rogoff, a leading scholar of financial crises, said chaos ensued after a number of years of ultra-low interest rates. "I didn't know it would [start] in the US banking sector," he said, adding that issues could've taken place in Japan or Italy before SVB was seized by regulators.

About 75% of the full-time hourly workers covered under the deal currently get about $15 an hour, according to the unions. But the unions were able to get a much more front-loaded pay package in this tentative deal. About 96% of membership who voted on that previous offer rejected it, following the recommendation of their union leadership. “I can’t help but believe the overwhelming result of the previous vote played a role in reaching this agreement. In fact, Disney has been struggling to fill some of the job openings it has at Disney World.

☆ INDIA RUPEE Rupee to strengthen after Fed hints rate hikes nearing end
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Anushka Trivedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The non-deliverable forwards indicate the rupee will open at around 82.45-82.50 to the dollar compared to 82.6550 on Tuesday. Even though the Fed statement was perceived as slightly dovish compared to its stance earlier this month, it's unlikely the rupee will sustain its gains as we're expecting large dollar bids, said a state-run bank trader. Traders may be anticipating a dollar liquidity crunch in the domestic markets, and hence the rupee is expected to fall towards 82.65-levels, he added. Fed funds futures traders imply a nearly even chance of just one more 25 bps rate hike at the May meeting. "Much of the damage seems to have come from Treasury Secretary Yellen's parallel remarks... right when Jerome Powell was insisting that the banking sector was sound," ING analysts said in a note.

☆ Starbucks' olive oil-infused coffee drinks are making their US debut despite some skepticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, Starbucks launched a new line of olive oil-infused coffee and espresso drinks in Italy. Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in Chicago, Seattle, and New York will be the first stores to offer the olive oil elixirs. Reserve stores like the chain's new Empire State Building location sell premium coffee and espresso drinks. Dousing your morning brew with olive oil may sound unappetizing to some. The Delish food site said the Oleato Iced Shaken Espresso was a terrific choice for iced coffee fans.

☆ Ron DeSantis was invited to Ukraine to gain a 'deeper understanding' of the war after the Florida governor called Russia's full-scale invasion a 'territorial dispute'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis called Russia's year-long war in Ukraine a 'territorial dispute,' on Monday. On Tuesday, Ukraine's foreign ministry invited DeSantis to see the situation on the ground himself. Ron DeSantis to visit the war-torn country after DeSantis reduced Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor to a "territorial dispute," earlier this week. DeSantis' comments came via a statement sent to Fox News on Monday where he said that Russia's war in Ukraine was not a "vital interest." The next day, Ukraine foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko pushed back against DeSantis' comments and extended an offer, per the BBC.

Search resuls for: "or was s"

25 mentions found