DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The Best Credit Cards With No Annual Fee
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +11 min

To help you pick the right option for your needs, Buy Side from WSJ has identified the five best no annual fee cards. (See all our Best Rewards Credit Card picks.) Best for travelDiscover it® Miles learn more Base rewards rate: 1.5xBonus rewards: NoneSign-up bonus: Unlimited miles match after first 12 monthsAnnual fee: NoneAPR: 16.74% to 27.74%, variableForeign transaction fee: 0%Many of the top travel rewards cards come with an annual fee (see our Best Travel Credit Cards picks for proof). How we pickedTo pick Buy Side from WSJ’s Best No Annual Fee Credit Cards we looked at personal and business cards that were free to swipe and that offered the most generous cash back or points rewards. To find out more about how we chose credit cards—and to meet our panel of experts—you can also check out Buy Side from WSJ’s full best credit cards methodology.

☆ Extreme Makeover AI Edition: Testing Four Apps That Distort Reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Joanna Stern | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

S2 E26Will the Apple Headset Blow Up? The iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch Give Us Clues Apple is expected to announce a mixed-reality headset in 2023. When the company released the iPod and Apple Watch those markets ballooned. WSJ’s Joanna Stern looks back and explains by inflating giant balloons. Photo illustration: Annie Zhao for The Wall Street Journal

☆ Fires, Short Sellers and an EV Recall: Inside Lordstown Motors’ Decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( George Downs | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

E55Electric Aircraft Suffer From Short Ranges. Could Towing Be the Answer? Startup Magpie Aviation is testing whether electric passenger planes could be towed to extend their range. To find out what it might take for Magpie to tow single aisle jetliners like a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A320, WSJ’s George Downs takes flight on an aerotowed glider. Illustration: George Downs

Persons: George Downs Organizations: Aviation, Boeing, Airbus

☆ Disney Scrapping Florida Campus, Shuttering Hotel Amid DeSantis Feud
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bob Lee Murder: The Story of the Cash App Founder and His Alleged Killer The fatal stabbing of Bob Lee rocked Silicon Valley. WSJ’s Kirsten Grind reveals details about what brought the Cash App founder and his alleged killer together, and explains what prosecutors say happened the night of his death. Photo Illustration: Preston Jessee

☆ Bob Lee Murder: The Story of the Cash App Founder and His Alleged Killer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Elon Musk Picks NBCU’s Linda Yaccarino to Lead Twitter. Here’s Why Twitter’s next CEO, Linda Yaccarino, is well-known for her tight relationship with ad agencies and her hard-nosed negotiating tactics. WSJ’s Suzanne Vranica explains what she can bring to the social media company. Photo: Charles Sykes/NBCUniversal/Getty Images

☆ Disney vs. DeSantis: What to Know About Their Power Struggle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Title 42: What Its End Means for Immigration and the Southern Border Title 42, which allowed U.S. authorities to quickly expel migrants on public health grounds, expired on May 11. WSJ’s Alicia A. Caldwell explains what the policy is, its effect on the border and what comes next. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

☆ How to Fight Rising Subscription Fees Without Going Cold Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

How to Get Insurers to Pay for Ozempic and Other Weight-Loss Drugs Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs can list at $900 or more per month. WSJ’s Anna Wilde Mathews joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss how to get your health insurance plan to cover these prescriptions.

☆ Don’t Swing at the Yield Curve
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Justin Lahart | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The inverted Treasury yield curve is hitting extreme new levels. But paradoxically, it may be suggesting that investors are both more worried about a recession and less worried. WSJ’s Dion Rabouin explains. Illustration: David FangWhen the Federal Reserve pushes shorter-term interest rates above long-term Treasury yields, it has typically been a sign that the central bank has tightened to the point that a downturn beckons. Confidence in the predictive power of such yield curve inversions is a big part of why many investors believe the economy is now destined for a recession.

☆ Will the Apple Headset Blow Up? The iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch Give Us Clues
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Joanna Stern | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

S2 E2524-Hour Challenge: Can My AI Voice and Video Clone Replace Me? New AI voice and video tools can look and sound like you. But can they fool your family—or bank? WSJ’s Joanna Stern replaced herself with her AI twin for the day to find out. Photo illustration: Elena Scotti

☆ Turkey Faces Financial Reckoning After Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Chelsey Dulaney | Jared Malsin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan will face opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the second round of the presidential election on May 28 after neither won Sunday’s first round. WSJ’s Jared Malsin explains what’s at stake. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesThe winner of this month’s Turkish presidential election will have to reckon with a dangerously lopsided economy that investors and economists say has veered close to the edge of financial stability. Turkey will hold a runoff election on May 28 after neither President Recep Tayyip Erdogan nor opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu secured the 50% of the vote required to clench the presidency. Mr. Erdogan emerged with a convincing lead in the first round, a surprise after he trailed in polls in the days before Sunday’s vote.

☆ Retail Sales to Show Americans’ Appetite to Spend in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Gwynn Guilford | Sarah Nassauer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This week’s U.S. retail-sales data will provide the latest update on inflation and the economy. New data on existing home sales, the housing-market index and housing starts will also be released. Photo: Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesApril’s retail-sales report will show consumers’ willingness to spend at stores and restaurants and online as easing inflation returns some spending power to shoppers. Consumers cut retail spending for the second straight month in March, pulling back on purchases of furniture, appliances and gasoline. But a solid labor market last month kept wage growth elevated while inflation cooled to its slowest pace in two years—which could in turn help boost consumer spending, the primary driver of economic growth.

☆ ChatGPT’s Sam Altman Faces Senate Panel Examining Artificial Intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ryan Tracy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New AI voice and video tools can look and sound like you. But can they fool your family—or bank? WSJ’s Joanna Stern replaced herself with her AI twin for the day to find out. Photo illustration: Elena ScottiWASHINGTON—The chief executive of ChatGPT creator OpenAI is set to testify before a Senate panel Tuesday as lawmakers begin a bipartisan push toward regulating the powerful new artificial-intelligence tools available to consumers. Sam Altman, who is making his first appearance before Congress, is expected to support calls for regulatory guardrails on the technology so that potential harms such as misinformation or fraud don’t outweigh benefits.

☆ ChatGPT’s Sam Altman Calls on Congress to Adopt Safety Standards for AI Systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ryan Tracy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New AI voice and video tools can look and sound like you. WSJ’s Joanna Stern replaced herself with her AI twin for the day to find out. Photo illustration: Elena ScottiWASHINGTON—The chief executive of ChatGPT creator OpenAI called on Congress to create licensing and safety standards for advanced artificial intelligence systems, as lawmakers begin a bipartisan push toward regulating the powerful new artificial-intelligence tools available to consumers. “We understand that people are anxious about how it can change the way we live,” Sam Altman said of AI technology at a Senate subcommittee hearing Tuesday, his first appearance before Congress. “But we believe that we can and must work together to identify and manage the potential downsides so that we can all enjoy the tremendous upsides.”

☆ Elon Musk Picks NBCU’s Linda Yaccarino to Lead Twitter. Here’s Why
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Stocks Close Higher With Debt-Ceiling Talks in Focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hannah Miao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This week’s U.S. retail-sales data will provide the latest update on inflation and the economy. New data on existing home sales, the housing market index and housing starts will also be released. Photo: Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesU.S. stocks edged higher Monday as investors monitored debt-ceiling negotiations, coming off two consecutive losing weeks for the S&P 500. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ticked up 0.1%, or nearly 50 points. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7%.

☆ Turkish Election Goes to Runoff After Erdogan Takes Lead in First Round
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Jared Malsin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan will face opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the second round of the presidential election on May 28. WSJ’s Jared Malsin explains what’s at stake. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesISTANBUL—Turkey will hold a runoff presidential election later this month, officials said Monday, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emerging from this weekend’s polls with a surprise advantage over his main challenger in a vote with far-ranging domestic and geopolitical implications. Mr. Erdogan won 49.51% and his opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu had 44.88% in the first round of the election on Sunday, with all of the votes counted, according to the head of the Turkish Supreme Election Council.

☆ Stop Equating the Latest Bank Failures to the 2008 Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Josh Zumbrun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The FDIC seized First Republic Bank in early May and struck a deal to sell the bulk of its operations to JPMorgan Chase. WSJ’s Ben Eisen explains what led to the bank’s failure and what it means for customers, investors and the industry. Illustration: Preston JesseeThe failures this year of First Republic Bank , Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have been labeled the second-, third- and fourth-largest bank failures in U.S. history. By one measure, the three banks held more assets than all 25 banks that failed in 2008 during the global financial crisis. Wait a second: this wave of failures is as bad as the 2008 crisis?

☆ Abortion Bans Can Help Make This Cheap, Accessible Birth Control Pill a Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez explains how over-the-counter access could affect reproductive care across the U.S. Photo: Laura KammermannAs efforts to crack down on abortion increase around the U.S., contraceptives are bound to play an increasingly important role in family planning. But for many women, cost and access are still prohibitive factors. A cheaper, over-the-counter option could help close that gap while creating a sizable market for generic drugmaker Perrigo . Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration earlier this week recommended that Perrigo’s oral contraceptive, called Opill, be made available without prescription. If the recommendation is adopted by the FDA, it would help widen access to birth control around the country.

☆ The TV Ad Market Was Already Looking Bleak. Then the Writers’ Strike Happened.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Suzanne Vranica | Joe Flint | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The union representing movie and television writers went on strike after talks with major networks, streamers and studios ended without a deal. WSJ’s Joe Flint explains what’s at stake. Photo: Aude Guerrucci/ReutersThe writers’ strike is casting a shadow over the TV business’s annual advertising bazaar, which was already under pressure from a softening ad market and eroding television ratings. Due to concerns over picketing writers, Netflix canceled its in-person presentation to advertisers, which was scheduled to take place next week at the Netflix-owned Paris Theater near New York’s Central Park. Instead, Netflix will make its presentation—its first-ever pitch to advertisers as part of its efforts to boost its new ad-supported version—virtually.

☆ Amazon Overhauls Delivery Network to Dispatch Packages Faster, More Cheaply
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Sebastian Herrera | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WSJ’s George Downs breaks down how much of a lifeline fleet-electrification contracts can be for automakers. Illustration: George DownsAmazon.com has upended its vast logistics network to reduce how far packages travel across the U.S. in an effort to get products to customers faster and improve profitability. The company’s overhaul has cut delivery times, transformed inventory management and altered the search results customers see on its flagship e-commerce website, according to executives, analysts and sellers who list their items on Amazon. The move also appears to be improving the company’s bottom line.

☆ Having Established Turkey on the World Stage, Erdogan Faces Risky Vote at Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Jared Malsin | Elvan Kivilcim | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

People in Turkey are voting in the tightest election in years, as the country recovers from a devastating earthquake in the midst of an economic crisis. WSJ’s Jared Malsin explains why the results could reverberate beyond Turkey. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesISTANBUL—Turkish voters go to the polls on Sunday in one of the most crucial elections in the country’s history—a vote that could bring to an end the long rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and have far-reaching geopolitical consequences for the Middle East, Ukraine and NATO. Mr. Erdogan has towered over Turkish politics for two decades, tightening his grip over the country and eroding democratic institutions at home, while also raising the country’s profile on the international stage.

☆ Donald Trump Found Liable for Sexually Abusing, Defaming E. Jean Carroll
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Title 42: What Its End Means for Immigration and the Southern Border Title 42, which allowed U.S. authorities to quickly expel migrants on public health grounds, is set to expire May 11. WSJ’s Alicia A. Caldwell explains what the policy is, the effect it has had on the border and what comes next. Illustration: Preston Jessee

☆ Florida Lays Groundwork to Resume Migrant Flights
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Jon Kamp | Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cities near the Mexican border such as El Paso, Texas, are bracing for an influx of migrants as Title 42 border restrictions are lifted. WSJ’s Alicia A. Caldwell explains how officials are preparing. Photo: Paul Ratje/Bloomberg NewsFlorida is taking steps to resume its migrant-relocation effort, including picking three companies to handle logistics and adding more funding to the program, eight months after the state flew 49 migrants from Texas to Massachusetts. The state posted a request for proposals for its migrant transportation program on March 31, seeking contractors that could provide an array of services to relocate migrants by air or ground. A single-page letter from the Florida Division of Emergency Management posted online Monday shows three companies received what is called a notice of intent to award contracts for the program.

☆ Watch: Donald Trump, Anchor Kaitlan Collins Spar at CNN Town Hall
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Destruction of Ukraine Dam Floods Front Line, Prompts EvacuationsRussia and Ukraine accused each other of destroying a major dam and power plant in the Kherson region, causing serious flooding and putting thousands of homes at risk. WSJ’s Matthew Luxmoore explains the significance of the attack. Photo: Libkos/Associated Press

Persons: Matthew Luxmoore Organizations: Associated Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kherson

☆ Disney Earnings to Shed Light on Streaming Progress as Restructuring Continues
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Robbie Whelan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

After a year of maneuvering on both sides, Walt Disney Co. is suing Florida Gov. Photo Composition: Rachel RogersWhen Walt Disney Co. reports second-quarter earnings Wednesday afternoon, all eyes will be on streaming, but not for the usual reasons. Investors will be looking for the entertainment giant to show meaningful progress cutting losses in its direct-to-consumer business, which includes flagship streaming service Disney+, as well as other platforms such as Hulu, ESPN+ and India’s Hotstar. Since Disney+ launched in November 2019, most of the attention has been on the service’s rapid pace of growth. Over the past couple of quarters, direct-to-consumer losses have narrowed, from $1.47 billion in the October quarter to $1.05 billion in the holiday quarter.

Search resuls for: "WSJ’s"

25 mentions found