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☆ US, British Forces Carry Out New Strikes in Yemen-Officials
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and British forces carried out a fresh round of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, three U.S. officials said on Monday, the latest move against the Iran-aligned group over its targeting of Red Sea shipping. In the past, the United States and British forces have mainly hit Houthi missiles and radar sites. The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. But multiple U.S. strikes over the past month have failed to stop Houthi attacks against shipping. Container vessels have been pausing or diverting from the Red Sea that leads to the Suez Canal, the fastest freight route from Asia to Europe.

Persons: Hope, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: WASHINGTON, British, Red Locations: United States, Yemen, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Suez, Asia, Europe

☆ Oil prices steady as investors weigh Libya oilfield restart, Mideast tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Repsol Oil Operations oil drilling rig pounds into the desert searching through thousands of feet for and oil reserve in El-Sharara, Libya. Oil prices were little changed on Monday as the market weighed the reopening of a key oilfield in Libya against ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Libya's National Oil Corporation resumed full production at the Sharara oilfield on Sunday after protests shut down output for two weeks. "The sentiment is sourer this morning because the force majeure on Libya's Sharara oil field has been lifted," Tamas Varga with PVM Oil Associates wrote in a note. OPEC, on the other hand, has presented a stronger outlook with oil demand forecast to grow by 2.2 million barrels per day, while production outside OPEC will grow by 1.3 million barrels per day.

Persons: Brent, Tamas Varga Organizations: Operations, The West Texas Intermediate, National Oil Corporation, PVM Oil Associates, U.S, U.S . Central Command, Houthi, International Energy Agency Locations: El, Sharara, Libya, The, Iran, Iraq, U.S, Syria, Gaza

☆ New Zealand to Send Defence Team to Support Red Sea Security
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand will deploy a six-member defence team to the Middle East as part of an international coalition to uphold maritime security in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Tuesday. "Houthi attacks against commercial and naval shipping are illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilising," Luxon said during a media briefing. "This deployment ... is a continuation of New Zealand's long history of defending freedom of navigation both in the Middle East and closer to home." They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. "Any suggestion our ongoing support for maritime security in the Middle East is connected to recent developments in Israel and the Gaza Strip, is wrong," Peters said.

Persons: Christopher Luxon, Luxon, Winston Peters, Peters, Renju Jose, Miral Fahmy Organizations: SYDNEY, Pentagon, Foreign Locations: New Zealand, Red, United States, Britain, Iranian, Yemen, Gaza, Israel, Zealand, . New Zealand, Sydney

JERUSALEM (AP) — Saudi Arabia's foreign minister says the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel or contribute to Gaza's reconstruction without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state. Prince Faisal bin Farhan's remarks in an interview with CNN broadcast late Sunday were some of the most direct yet from Saudi officials. It puts them at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has rejected Palestinian statehood and described plans for open-ended military control over Gaza. In September, Netanyahu had said Israel was “at the cusp” of such a deal, which he said would transform the Middle East. Israel has only successfully rescued one hostage, while Hamas says several have been killed in Israeli airstrikes or during failed rescue operations.

Persons: Prince Faisal bin Farhan's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Israel, “ CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, ”, ” Prince Faisal, “, Prince Faisal, we’re, NETANYAHU, —, ___ Shurafa Organizations: JERUSALEM, CNN, Israeli, Palestinian, West Bank, Hamas, Health Ministry Locations: Saudi, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, United States, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, GAZA, U.N, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Deir, israel

☆ An Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital killed at least 4 Iranian advisers, state media say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

An Israeli strike on the Syrian capital on Saturday destroyed a building used by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, killing at least four Iranians, Syrian and Iranian state media reported. Iranian state television said four advisers from the Revolutionary Guard had been killed in the strike in Damascus, without identifying them, adding that Israel was behind the strike. Last month, an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of Damascus killed Iranian general Seyed Razi Mousavi, a longtime adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria. Iranian and Syrian officials have long acknowledged Iran has advisers and military experts in Syria, but denied there were any ground troops. Earlier this month, a strike said to be carried out by Israel killed top Hamas commander Saleh Arouri in Beirut.

Persons: Israel, Nour, Sadegh Omidzadeh, Hajj Gholam, Rami Abdurrahman, Khaled Mawed, Seyed Razi Mousavi, Bashar Assad, Bashar Assad's, Saleh Arouri Organizations: Iranian, Revolutionary Guard, Quds Force, Hajj, Syrian, Human Rights, Security, Windows, Associated Press Locations: Wafideen, Damascus, Syria, Israeli, Syrian, Iran, Mazzeh, Venezuela, South Africa, Israel, Gaza, Beirut, Golan, Lebanon, Red

When Nikki Haley was a South Carolina legislator, she backed budgets boosted by federal aid. Now, Haley is running against Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination saying he is an agent of chaos. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she defeated a 30-year legislative veteran in the Republican primary. As governor, Haley had disputes with fellow Republicans that often seemed personal. But she reminds Republican primary voters that the deals were always for non-union shops.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Haley, Donald Trump, ”, Doug Brannon, “, Bill Clinton, Slick Willie ”, Trump, Roe, Wade, I’m, Rob Godfrey, ” Godfrey, ” Haley, Hillary Clinton, Gresham Barrett, Whit Ayres, Barrett, Sarah Palin, ” Ayres, Palin, Mitt Romney, Romney, “ She’s, Kay Koonce, Haley burnished, Godfrey, Godfrey said, Koonce, Barack Obama’s, Obama, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Jan, Ayres, Chris Christie’s, ’ ” Ayres, Christie, Haley “, “ Chris Christie, ” Koonce, ’, Holly Ramer Organizations: Trump, GOP, firebrand, Republican, today's Republican Party, Fox, New York Times, U.S, Rep, Wall Street titans, Gubernatorial, Democratic National Committee, Conservative, House Republicans, Republicans, Florida, Capitol, New, Associated Press Locations: South Carolina, Washington, Charleston, New Hampshire, Columbia, China, New York, Trump, Iowa, New Jersey, Concord , New Hampshire

☆ Test Yourself: Which Faces Were Made by A.I.?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Stuart A. Thompson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Test Yourself: Which Faces Were Made by A.I.? Research published across multiple studies found that faces of white people created by A.I. 90% got it wrong Real90% got it wrong A.I. 89% got it wrong Top photos identified as “A.I.” Real90% got it wrong Real86% got it wrong Real84% got it wrong A.I. The images in the study came from StyleGAN2, an image model trained on a public repository of photographs containing 69 percent white faces.

Persons: Taylor Swift, ”, Amy Dawel, Dawel Organizations: Australian National University, telltale Locations: ”, StyleGAN2

☆ Opinion: The dangerous Civil War ideology looming over the 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Opinion Karen Finney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The myth of the Lost Cause hasn’t been defeated. Echoes of Lost Cause mythology have also been invoked throughout the primary by Trump’s leading opponents, Florida Gov. The myth of the Lost Cause hasn’t been defeated. In short, it was defeated and discredited, but Lost Cause mythology nevertheless lives on. It was easy not to indulge my grandmother Mildred Lee in her promotion of Lost Cause mythology.

Persons: Karen Finney, Hillary Clinton, Robert E, Lee, Mildred Lee, Karen Finney Ralph Alswange, ”, curriculums, General Lee, Jim Crow, hasn’t, Biden, —, Donald Trump, Abraham Lincoln, Trump’s, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, DeSantis, ” Karen Finney, Trump’s MAGA, Haley, Trump, McCarthy, Clint Smith, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Aggression, United, Mother Emanuel AME Church, Florida Gov, South Carolina Gov, Trump voters, Capitol, Fox News, Florida Governor, CNN Town Hall, Union, South Carolina, House, Confederate, Illinois, Reconstruction, Ku Klux, Republican, Civil Locations: Virginia, North Carolina, Charleston , South Carolina, Iowa, Florida, America, South Carolina, United States

☆ US Relists Houthis as Terrorists in Response to Red Sea Attacks
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Officials said the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT) designation, which hits the Iran-aligned group with harsh sanctions, was aimed at cutting off funding and weapons the Houthis have used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes. The Houthis' campaign has disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. "These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism," said one of three administration officials who briefed reporters ahead of the announcement on condition of anonymity. The U.S. military on Tuesday carried out its latest strike against four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles, two U.S. officials told Reuters. The Houthi militia movement, which says the attacks on commercial ships are aimed at supporting the Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza, has threatened a "strong and effective response."

Persons: Simon Lewis, Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Biden, stoked, Trump, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Michael Perry Organizations: Wednesday, Officials, British, Reuters, Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations Locations: Yemen, Washington, Iran, Israel, The U.S, Gaza, Lebanon, U.S, Saudi Arabia

☆ Americans are canceling trips that are thousands of miles from Gaza. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | Jonathan Delise | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Israel-Hamas war is affecting travel across the Middle East and beyond. Canceling plans a continent awayYet, the war's effect on travelers extends far beyond the Middle East, according to a survey from Morning Consult. Respondents said these plans included visits to the Middle East (12%) and North Africa (7%), as well as Western Europe (14%), according to the survey. Cancelations were high for domestic trips because most Americans travel within the 50 states, thus "there are simply more trips on the table to disrupt," the report stated. Some 52% of respondents with knowledge of the war said they viewed traveling to the Middle East as "very unsafe," compared to 29% of those who had not heard about it.

Persons: Saudi Arabia —, —, Olivier Ponti, Cancelations, Ponti Organizations: Middle East, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S . State Department, U.S, Department of State, Travel, Consular Affairs Locations: Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, North Africa, Western Europe, United States, Cyprus, Lebanon, Kuwait, Malaysia, Colombia, Oman, South Africa, United Kingdom, Poland, Denmark

☆ House panels approve Hunter Biden contempt finding after president's son crashes hearing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Two Republican-led House committees passed resolutions Wednesday recommending that Hunter Biden be found in contempt of Congress for refusing to be deposed behind closed doors as part of an impeachment probe of his father, President Joe Biden. If the House finds Hunter Biden in contempt, it can then refer the matter to the Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution. The committee previously issued a subpoena to Hunter Biden, demanding that he appear for a non-public deposition for the impeachment inquiry. "I'm looking at you, Hunter Biden, as I'm speaking to you," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said shortly after the president's son sat down. "I think that Hunter Biden should be arrested right here, right now and go straight to jail."

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Abbe Lowell, Biden, Lowell, Nancy Mace Organizations: Capitol, Republican, Department of Justice, Republicans, Rayburn Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Biden slams Trump as 'revealing twisted true colors' after Trump says he hopes economy crashes in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The White House took aim at former President Donald Trump after the Republican presidential candidate front-runner said he hoped the economy would crash this year rather than during his theoretical second term. Economists have forecast economic slowing in 2024, but consensus has not gone so far as to cry recession. The White House used Trump's comment as an opportunity to tout Biden's economic wins and to draw contrasts with the previous administration. Trump has taken advantage of Biden's struggling economic narrative on the campaign trail, reminiscing on what he claims was a golden economy under his administration. Under Trump, the economy expanded for several years but the stock market ultimately came crashing down in 2020 at the advent of the pandemic while Trump was still in office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Andrew Bates, Trump, Herbert Hoover, Hoover's, Biden, Bates Organizations: Flex LTD, White, Republican, Lindell, Dow Jones Industrial, Trump Locations: U.S, West Columbia, South Carolina

Learn moreThis excellent NordVPN deal has been a regular highlight of the super busy sales season towards the end of the year, so we're stoked to see it still going strong. NordVPN is one of the best VPNs money can buy and our top pick of all the best VPN deals we've been rounding up lately. Below, we'll list the total and lowest monthly US prices for all available NordVPN plans. NordVPN plans and pricing explainedYou'll find quite a few options when browsing NordVPN plans. The 2-year Standard plan costs $80.73 upfront, which is $2.99 per month over the life of the subscription.

Persons: NordVPN, VPNs, You'll, you'll

In testimony before a House committee, the university leaders said there was a fine line between protecting free speech and allowing protests, while also combatting antisemitism. “Harvard must provide firm leadership in the fight against antisemitism and hate speech even while preserving room for free expression and dissent. This is difficult work, and I admit that we have not always gotten it right,” said Claudine Gay, of Harvard. In recent weeks, the federal government has opened investigations into several universities — including Penn and Harvard — regarding antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus. Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, the committee's ranking Democrat, criticized Republicans for “stoking culture wars” while claiming to be combatting discrimination on campus.

Persons: “, ”, Claudine Gay, ” Gay, Liz Magill, Sally Kornbluth, ” Magill, Virginia Foxx, Bobby Scott of Virginia, Scott Organizations: WASHINGTON, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “ Harvard, Penn, MIT, The Education Department, Education, Workforce, intersectionality, ” Rep, Republicans, Education Department, Civil, “, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, AP Locations: Israel, North Carolina, Carnegie Corporation of New York

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood’s actors have voted to ratify the deal with studios that ended their strike after nearly four months, leaders announced Tuesday. The approval of the three-year contract from the members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists was no certainty, with some prominent members voicing dissent on the deal for which the union leaders bargained. But the outcome is a major relief for SAG-AFTRA leaders and an entertainment industry that is attempting to return to normal after months of labor strife. Political Cartoons View All 1283 ImagesThose leaders had freed actors to return to work, declaring the strike over as soon as the tentative deal was struck Nov. 8. “It is purposefully vague and demands union members to release their autonomy....

Persons: —, Fran Drescher, Justine Bateman, Matthew Modine, stoked, “, ” Modine, Drescher, Jessica Chastain, Colman Domingo, “ Rustin, ”, ” Domingo, John Carucci Organizations: ANGELES, Screen, American Federation of Television, Radio, SAG, Hollywood, Alliance, Television Producers, Associated, AP, Associated Press Locations: New York

☆ Israel's war with Hamas shows why even 50 years of upgrades can't make tanks invulnerable
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Those losses have come despite the sophistication of Israeli tanks and Israel's experience using them. AdvertisementThe recent images of an advanced Israeli Merkava tank blazing on the Gaza border evokes memories of another October war 50 years ago. Nonetheless, about 20 Israeli tanks have been knocked out over the past two months by Hamas, an irregular force that lacks advanced weaponry. Tanks of 1973An Israeli tank in the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973. Hamas drones dive-bombing Israeli tanks is probably more of a rare occurrence than a decisive tactic — though the IDF has mounted steel cages on its tanks for protection.

Persons: Israel, —, Oleg Granovsky, Henri, Patton, GABRIEL DUVAL, Benami NEUMANN, Israel Tal, Tal, Samuel Katz, Hani Alshaer, Sagger, Abu Mustafa, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Hamas, Hamas Press, Getty, Business, IDF, Sherman, NATO, Rommel's, Israeli Armored Corps, Getty Images Israel, West Bank, Britain, Anadolu Agency, REUTERS, Centurions, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Israeli, Gaza, Kippur, Ukraine, Anadolu, Golan, Israel, British, Soviet, Damascus, AFP, Britain, France, West, Jenin, Lebanon, Russian, Gaza City, Urban, Hamas, Sinai, aren't, Forbes

☆ Oil prices steady amid OPEC+ cut doubts, Mid-East tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Oil prices held steady on Tuesday amid uncertainty over voluntary output cuts by OPEC+ and as continued tension in the Middle East spurred supply concern. Oil prices had declined in the previous trading session as traders doubted that supply cuts by OPEC+ would have a significant impact, and as a stronger U.S. dollar weighed on commodity prices in general, said CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng. A stronger dollar typically makes oil more expensive for holders of other currencies, which could dampen oil demand. Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, told Bloomberg in an interview on Monday that OPEC+ oil production cuts can "absolutely" continue past the first quarter if needed. Those incidents followed a series of attacks in Middle-Eastern waters since war broke out between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct. 7.

Persons: Tina Teng, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Organizations: Brent, U.S, West Texas, of, Petroleum, Bloomberg, Hamas Locations: Russia, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Israel, Red, Palestinian

☆ China Evergrande’s Crash Was Accelerated by Questionable Accounting
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Alexandra Stevenson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Its longtime auditor had just resigned, and a nation of home buyers had directed its ire at Evergrande. Police on watch for protesters stood guard outside the building, and the new team of auditors were issued permits to get in. After six months of work, the auditors reported that Evergrande had lost $81 billion over the prior two years, vastly more than expected. China’s housing boom was the biggest the world has seen, and Evergrande’s rise was powered by rapacious expansion, the system that stoked it and foreign investors who threw money at it. When China’s housing bubble burst, no other company imploded in as spectacular a fashion.

Persons: Evergrande, — Organizations: China Evergrande Group, Evergrande . Police, Evergrande Locations: Guangzhou, China, Evergrande .

☆ Asia shares turn mixed, gold tops $2,100 an ounce
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was still up 0.4%, led by gains in South Korea and Australia. Trade figures for China are due later in the week with the recent trend being softening exports to the U.S. overshadowing gains in Asia. S&P 500 futures dipped 0.1%, after finishing at a 20-month high on Friday, while Nasdaq futures lost 0.2%. The dive in yields and the dollar has been a boon for non-yielding gold, which added 0.9% to $2,088 an ounce, after hitting a record of $2,111.39 an ounce . Oil prices have not been so fortunate, amid doubts OPEC+ will be able to maintain planned output cuts.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Jerome Powell, Claudio Irigoyen, Joachim Nagel, Christine Lagarde, Brent, Wayne Cole, Sam Holmes Organizations: Nikkei, payrolls Shipping, Japan's Nikkei, FTSE, Nasdaq, Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan's, European Central Bank, ECB, Sea, Thomson Locations: Red Sea, SYDNEY, U.S, Israel, Red, Asia, Pacific, Japan, South Korea, Australia, China, Canada

The proposal to classify AI systems by four levels of risk — from minimal to unacceptable — was essentially intended as product safety legislation. That changed with the boom in generative AI, which sparked wonder by composing music, creating images and writing essays resembling human work. Foundation models give generative AI systems such as ChatGPT the ability to create something new, unlike traditional AI, which processes data and completes tasks using predetermined rules. Resistance to government rules for these AI systems came from an unlikely place: France, Germany and Italy. “The race should be for the best AI regulations, not the first AI regulations."

Persons: —, Bard chatbot, “ Rather, won’t, ”, Nick Reiners, “ there’s, Reiners, Sam Altman, Thierry Breton, ” Reiners, Kent Walker, Iverna McGowan, McGowan, Altman, OpenAI, Alpha, it's, ” Dragos, “, “ We’re Organizations: European Union, Eurasia Group, European Commission, Microsoft, Mistral, Elon, Center for Democracy and Technology, EU Locations: European, U.S, China, Brussels, France, Germany, Italy, Europe, German, Romanian

☆ Julianna Margulies, Susan Sarandon issue apologies over recent controversial comments sparked by Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Julianna Margulies has released an apology after her recent comments on a podcast stoked controversy. In comments she made on an episode of the “Back Room with Andy Ostroy” podcast last month, the actress voiced criticism of certain marginalized communities for what she perceived to be their lack of support for Jews, among other things. The conversation between Margulies and Ostroy – who are both Jewish – was prompted by the Israel-Hamas war and the rise in antisemitism they have seen in this country since the war began. “Throughout my career I have worked tirelessly to combat hate of all kind, end antisemitism, speak out against terrorist groups like Hamas, and forge a united front against discrimination. “It was my intent to show solidarity in the struggle against bigotry of all kinds, and I am sorry I failed to do so.”

Persons: Julianna Margulies, Andy Ostroy ”, Margulies, Ostroy –, –, ”, “, ” Susan Sarandon, Sarandon Organizations: CNN, New York Locations: Israel, New York City

☆ Here’s what the S&P 500’s summer hot streak can teach us about the late 2023 rally and its staying power
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Michael Santoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

In the final run-up to the late-July peak in stocks this column surveyed the rally , and asked, "Enough for now? .SPX YTD line The S & P 500's year-to-date performance Yes, the market is overbought by various technical measures. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo and Barclays are seeing the S & P 500 as dead money next year, at best. The virtues of owning the S & P 500 passively have always been low cost, tax efficiency, low turnover and broad exposure to the asset class. While 2021 was a Nasdaq 100 melt-up year, 2022 was the mirror image: Big Tech got blasted and the equal-weight S & P 500 held up better.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Wells, Jack Bogle, Alan Greenspan's Organizations: Federal, Deutsche, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America, Barclays, Hamas, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Big Tech, matchless, Treasury Locations: Wells Fargo, Israel

☆ ChatGPT just turned one, and even some OpenAI employees can't believe the way its first year has played out
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

When it was first launched, OpenAI leaders framed it as a "low-key research preview." AdvertisementChatGPT turned one today, and if you're surprised by its impact, you're not alone — so are some OpenAI employees. Today, the term "low-key research preview" has become something of a meme among OpenAI's employees. OpenAI employees have even used the phrase as laptop stickers, per the Atlantic. "The outside world probably thinks we're all joking, but this actually was our 'low-key research preview,'" wrote Fedus.

Persons: ChatGPT, —, OpenAI, Google's Bard, Goldman Sachs, Greg Brockman, William Fedus Organizations: Service, UBS, Meta, Bloomberg

☆ ‘Backtracking:’ A year of climate failures ahead of a crucial summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

And yet, even as the climate crisis inserts itself viscerally into people’s lives, experts say the year has seen alarming backsliding on climate action. Green policies have been watered down, huge new oil and gas projects have been greenlit and coal has had something of a resurgence. As countries gather in Dubai for the UN’s COP28 climate summit, there are “high expectations,” said Harjeet Singh, the head of global political strategy at nonprofit Climate Action Network International. It sent worrying signals about climate backtracking, said Elisa Giannelli, a senior policy advisor at climate think tank E3G. Around 50% of its total capital spending needs to go toward clean energy projects by 2030, according to the report.

Persons: ”, Harjeet Singh, Kaveh Guilanpour, Singh, Biden, “, Erik Grafe, Joe Biden, Countess, Norway —, Elisa Giannelli, “ It’s, Rishi Sunak, Joeri Rogelj, Flora Champenois, It’s, Bernd Lauter, ” Rogelj, Darren Woods, Bernard Looney, Fatih Birol, Guilanpour, Claire Fyson, ” Fyson, “ we’re, ” CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Ivana Kottasová, Gan Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Action, “, Climate, Energy Solutions, US Department of Interior, Imperial College London, Global Energy Monitor, GEM, Getty, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Exxon, IEA, Climate Analytics Locations: Canada, Libyan, Dubai, Alaska, Washington ,, Australia, Norway, Europe, Germany, China, Asia, Ukraine, Eschweiler, COP28

Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are the biggest cause of climate change. "We have a world which has more fossil fuels than ever," said Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute, a climate NGO. U.S. officials and others are hopeful a recent climate deal between the U.S. and China may also set a positive tone for the talks. Another test is whether wealthy nations announce money for the fund at COP28 - to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. "Speaking from previous experience, unfortunately most of the global agreements, most of the global climate related pledges went uncompleted," said Najib Ahmed, National Consultant at Somalia's Climate Ministry.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, ADNOC, Ani Dasgupta, Narendra Modi, Britain's King Charles, Joe Biden, Gayane, Najib Ahmed, Valerie Volcovici, Josie Kao Organizations: OPEC, United Nations, International Energy Agency, BBC, World Resources Institute, Indian, European Union, Reuters, U.S, FINANCE, EU, Climate Ministry, “, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS, Dubai, UAE, U.S, China, India

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