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☆ Hong Kong plans to install thousands of surveillance cameras. Critics say it’s more proof the city is moving closer to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-05 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Hong Kong CNN —Glance up while strolling through parts of downtown Hong Kong and, chances are, you’ll notice the glassy black lens of a surveillance camera trained on the city’s crowded streets. Hong Kong police had previously set a target of installing 2,000 new surveillance cameras this year, and potentially more than that each subsequent year. Facial recognition gates at the departure hall of Hong Kong International Airport. Tang and the Hong Kong police have repeatedly pointed to other jurisdictions, including Western democracies, that also make wide use of surveillance cameras for law enforcement. Protesters on the streets covered their faces with masks and goggles to prevent identification, at times smashing or covering security cameras.

Persons: Chris Tang, Budrul Chukrut, Tang, haven’t, Kong’s, ”, Samantha Hoffman, Hoffman, Joshua Wong –, –, “, Miguel Candela, Qilai Shen, ” Hoffman, Sing, Sing Tao, Steve Tsang, it’s, doesn’t, Normann Witzleb, Chan Long Hei, Witzleb, they’re, ” Witzleb Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Hong Kong, Hong Kong International Airport, Budrul, CNN, Hong Kong Police Force, National Bureau of Asian Research, New, London, Protesters, New Town, QR, New York Times, Bloomberg, Getty, SOAS China Institute, University of London, Chinese University of Hong Locations: Hong Kong, China, Hong, Singapore, United Kingdom, Tao, United States, Hong Kong Hong Kong, New York City, Beijing, Xinjiang, Bund, Shanghai, Sing Tao, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Victoria Harbour

☆ Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Lauren Hirsch | Sarah Kessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Wall Street Democrats have spent the last eight years complaining about their relationship with Washington. But now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the party’s presumptive presidential nominee, they see a chance to regain influence. “Waging war is not.” (He later clarified that he would support Harris regardless of whether she replaced Khan.) Few on Wall Street would disagree with that stance — Khan has moved to block deals with seemingly little concern over losing in court. But behind the scenes, many are irked by this kind of public lobbying, arguing that it exposes a misunderstanding of the way the Washington game is played, and that it could backfire.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Biden, Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Bill Ackman, Harris, Lina Khan, ” Barry Diller, Reid Hoffman, ” Hoffman, “, Khan, — Khan Organizations: Democrats, Democratic Party, Trump, Federal Trade Commission, IAC, CNBC, LinkedIn, CNN Locations: Washington

☆ LinkedIn billionaire is going all-in on Kamala Harris. But he wants her to make a big change
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is throwing his financial firepower behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the GOP nominee for vice president, is a fan. Harris campaign: No discussions on replacing KhanHoffman told CNN he “certainly” hasn’t directly pushed Harris to replace Khan. A Harris campaign aide told CNN that there have been “no policy discussions” about replacing Khan at the current time. That was a mistake,” Hoffman told CNN.

Persons: Reid Hoffman, Kamala Harris, Hoffman, CNN he’s, Harris, United States ’, Lina Khan, “ Lina Khan, ” Hoffman, Joe Biden, “, Khan, ”, Bernie Sanders, Hoffman Khan, Sen, Mr, Hoffman ”, Massachusetts Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Khan . Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Vance, Biden, Khan Hoffman, hasn’t, Brian Fung, Douglas Farrar, Biden Harris, Harris team’s, ” Farrar, Farrar, “ Trump, Donald Trump, Trump, Steven Cheung, George Soros ”, Mark Cuban, Peter Thiel, Thiel, Arizona Sen, Mark Kelly, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Gina Raimondo Organizations: New, New York CNN, LinkedIn, Biden, Harris, PAC, CNN, Federal Trade, Democratic, Microsoft, FTC, “, Big Oil, Big Tech, Forward PAC, GOP, Republican, Activision Blizzard, Mattress, Trump, US Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Locations: New York, United States, America, Vermont, Massachusetts, Khan . Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan

For more than six months, Russia has been carrying out a sabotage campaign across Europe, largely by proxy. “We’re seeing sabotage, we’re seeing assassination plots, we’re seeing arson. Russia’s sabotage campaign has, at times, smacked of a shotgun approach carried out by amateurs. In London in March, several men were charged with working with Russian intelligence services to set fire to a Ukrainian-linked warehouse. And French authorities last month detained a Russian-Ukrainian man who was allegedly building bombs as part of a sabotage campaign orchestrated by Moscow.

Persons: Armin Papperger, Olaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, Fabian Bimmer, “, ”, Adrienne Watson, “ Russia’s, Oliver Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Donald Tusk, Papperger, Dariusz Borowicz, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Reuters “, ” CNN’s Zachary Cohen Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Rheinmetall, NATO, National Security, NATO Allies, Embassy, intel, US, Reuters, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Kyiv, Germany, Berlin, Russia, West, Moscow, Papperger, Unterluess, United States, Washington, Russian, Polish, Lithuania, Poland, Ukrainian, London, Warsaw

☆ LinkedIn billionaire bankrolls voting firm Smartmatic as it fights Fox News in 2020 election defamation case
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Matt Egan | Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is providing significant financial firepower to Smartmatic as the voting technology company fights Fox News and Newsmax over the right-wing networks’ repeated airing of 2020 election lies. A person with knowledge of the matter wouldn’t say exactly how much money Hoffman poured into Smartmatic but told CNN the eight-figure investment surpassed $10 million. Smartmatic is seeking billions of dollars in damages from Fox News, Newsmax and other right-wing figures that falsely accused the company of rigging the 2020 election. The voting technology company’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News is still in the fact-finding “discovery” phase and isn’t expected to go to trial until 2025. Smartmatic is also suing Trump 2020 campaign lawyer Sidney Powell and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell – two of the most egregious peddlers of election disinformation.

Persons: Reid Hoffman, Hoffman, “ Smartmatic, ” Hoffman, “, Donald Trump, Smartmatic, Antonio Mugica, Mugica, Hoffman “, “ doesn’t, Trump, Joe Biden, ” Mugica, Biden, ”, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell –, Powell, ” Lindell, Christopher Kachouroff Organizations: New, New York CNN, LinkedIn, Fox, Democratic, The Washington Post, CNN, Trump, Republican, Fox News, Fox Corporation, Delaware Superior Court, America News, Fox News Media, Justice Department Locations: New York, Smartmatic, Delaware Superior, Philippines, Fox, Dominion

☆ You may now own a piece of Trump Media – and not even know it
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —If you’ve got money in the market, you might own a little piece of Trump Media — without even knowing it. Trump Media (DJT), the owner of conservative social media platform Truth Social, announced its addition to the Russell family on Monday. As a result, countless retail investors will now own a piece of Trump Media. These include the $14 billion iShares Russell 3000 ETF (IWV) and the $2.5 billion Vanguard Russell 3000 ETF (VTHR). LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, believes Trump Media is really worth just $40 million.

Persons: you’ve, Russell, Donald Trump, doesn’t, Vanguard Russell, ”, Sam Stovall, Stovall, ” Stovall, Reid Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Aniket Ullal Organizations: New, New York CNN, Trump Media, Trump Media & Technology, Vanguard, CFRA Research, Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, Trump, “, FTSE Russell’s, P, LinkedIn, CNN, & & Locations: New York

☆ Trump’s company is valued ‘absurdly out of the realm of normal,’ LinkedIn billionaire says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But the LinkedIn co-founder is dumbfounded by the size of the social media fortune former President Donald Trump is sitting on. Trump’s conservative social media company, Truth Social owner Trump Media & Technology Group, is valued by Wall Street at a whopping $6 billion — even after a recent plunge in its share price. “That is wildly high,” Hoffman, who is now a director at Microsoft and a venture capital investor, told CNN. Trump’s stake is worth nearly $4 billionHoffman is hardly the first to express disbelief at the valuation of Trump Media. Based on Monday’s share price, Trump’s 114.75 million shares in Trump Media are valued at nearly $4 billion.

Persons: New York CNN — Reid Hoffman, Donald Trump, ” Hoffman, “, Elon Musk’s, Hoffman, Trump, Meta, —, Jay Ritter, Barry Diller Organizations: New, New York CNN, LinkedIn, Truth Social, Trump Media & Technology Group, Wall, Microsoft, CNN, Trump Media, Nasdaq, Reddit, Meta, Facebook, “ Trump Media, ” Trump Media, Trump, SEC, GameStop, AMC, University of Florida, ” Billionaire, MGM Resorts International, CNBC, White Locations: New York

☆ AI is replacing human tasks faster than you think
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s in addition to creative tasks for which some businesses are already relying on ChatGPT and other AI chatbots to assist, including crafting job posts, writing press releases and building marketing campaigns. The findings show companies are increasingly turning to AI to cut costs, boost profits and make their workers more productive. Nearly 60% of all companies (and 84% of large companies) surveyed said that over the past year they have already leaned on software, equipment or technology including AI to automate tasks employees previously did. Bosses are turning to AI for a variety of reasons, including to trim what they are spending on human workers. Human jobs will be replaced — but will be replaced by other humans using AI,” he said.

Persons: ” Duke, John Graham, Duke, ”, Graham, “, Reid Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Janet Yellen, Democratic Sen, Gary Peters, ” Graham Organizations: New, New York CNN — Corporate, Duke University, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, ”, CNN, Survey, Atlanta Fed, LinkedIn, Democratic, Homeland Security, Government Affairs Committee Locations: New York, That’s, ChatGPT

☆ How racing driverless cars is pushing autonomous technology
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He’s been working on robotics since the 1980s, and he’s surprised by how quickly autonomous technology has advanced. He sees this in his day-to-day work at KUCARS, where researchers are working on everything from autonomous cars and drones to marine, agricultural, and manufacturing robotics. There have been other autonomous car races before, but A2RL’s was the first to include a race between four driverless cars, according to organizers. “But it was good to push the community.”Team Polimove competes during the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League. Pushing the technology to the edgeEfforts to set driverless cars loose on public roads have faced setbacks, especially as the result of collisions with unforeseen obstacles.

Persons: Lakmal Seneviratne, He’s, he’s, A2RL’s, ” Seneviratne, Daniil Kvyat, Amr Alfiky, Reuters ‘, Max Verstappen, TUM, Seneviratne, Polimove, Giuseppe Cacace, Simon Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Uber, Hoffman, ” Organizations: CNN, Netflix, P Global Mobility, Khalifa University Center, Autonomous Robotic Systems, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, Reuters, Beijing Institute of Technology, Abu, Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Technical University of Munich, Getty, Yas Marina Circuit, Khalifa University of Science Locations: Abu Dhabi, KUCARS, Yas

☆ Auctions in New York Reflect a Dip in the Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Scott Reyburn | More About Scott Reyburn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

As is almost always the case now with auctions of major single-owner collections, Sotheby’s secured the Fisher Landau consignment by guaranteeing the sellers an overall minimum price. Picasso’s 1932 painting “Femme à la montre,” the star lot of the Fisher Landau collection, was one of 24 lots in the Nov. 9 evening sale backed by irrevocable bids. This was knocked down to one bid of $22.2 million, incurring Sotheby’s a substantial loss, but preserving the prestige of a 100 percent selling rate. (His Fine Art Group spent $4.8 million for a 1995 Agnes Martin painting at the Fisher Landau evening session.) The art adviser Josh Baer, reporting on the Fisher Landau auction in his Baer Faxt newsletter, said, “profitability for auction houses is not always going to happen.

Persons: Sotheby’s, Fisher, ”, Fisher Landau, Rothko, ” Hoffman, Agnes Martin, Josh Baer, Baer Organizations: Sotheby’s, Art

HonestReporting, which describes itself as an organization devoting to fighting media disinformation about Israel and Zionism, did not specifically make those accusations against the companies. It did, however, suggest that freelance photographers whose work from that day was used by the outlets might have known. For journalists to have known about the Hamas plans in advance presents a complicated ethical question. “We raised questions and it led the media outlets to clarify the truth,” he said. “Great, that's what we do.”Both AP and CNN said Thursday that they would no longer work with Eslaiah, one of the freelance photographers.

Persons: Israel —, Reuters —, ’, ” HonestReporting, “, Gil Hoffman, ” Hoffman, ”, Yousef Masoud, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Yasser Qudih, Israel, Julie Pace, ” Pace, Hassan Eslaiah, Ali Mahmoud, Hatem Ali, Danny Danon, Benny Gantz, Nina Berman, Hoffman, HonestReporting, Yahya Sinwar Organizations: — CNN, The New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters, New York Times, AP, Masoud, The Times, Times, Protect Journalists, Columbia University, CNN Locations: Israel, Gaza, Jerusalem

That setup has drawn criticism from within the Nevada GOP about potential voter confusion and concerns that the state party is attempting to tilt the scale for Trump. A state-run ballot will be mailed to every resident before the primary; Nevada law requires universal mail ballots for primary and general elections. Political Cartoons View All 1223 Images“I hate it for our voters because of course they’re going to be confused,” said Will Bradley, a member of the Nevada Republican Party Central Committee. Trump's Nevada state director, Alida Benson, moved to his campaign in July after serving as the state party's executive director. He pushed for the caucuses despite a state law requiring a presidential primary, because the Democratic-controlled Legislature refused to consider Republican Gov.

Persons: it's, Donald Trump, ”, Will Bradley, ” Trump, Alida Benson, Michael McDonald, Democrat Joe Biden, McDonald, Joe Lombardo's, ” McDonald, Bradley, Lee Hoffman, Hoffman, ” Hoffman, “ That’s, ” ___ Stern, Stern, @gabestern326 Organizations: LAS VEGAS, —, Republican, Republican Jewish, Nevada GOP, Trump, Nevada Republican Party Central Committee, Electoral College, Democrat, Democratic, Republican Gov, GOP, Central, Republicans, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: — Nevada, Iowa, New Hampshire, Las Vegas, Israel, Nevada, Trump's Nevada, Clark, Vegas, Elko, Elko County, Massachusetts, Connecticut

☆ US wholesale inflation heated up last month amid higher gas prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Minneapolis CNN —Wholesale price increases of US goods and services jumped higher for a third consecutive month, influenced by still-high energy prices, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. September’s overall increase was driven by a 0.9% gain in goods prices due to higher energy prices and food prices, BLS data shows. Gas prices hit new yearly highs in September, as oil prices pushed past $92 a barrel amid supply cuts and catastrophic flooding in Libya. The higher gas prices seen in August and September may filter through to some products and services but shouldn’t ultimately keep inflation higher in the months to come, said Stuart Hoffman, PNC Financial Services’ senior economic adviser. However, the Israel and Hamas war in the Middle East does add volatility to energy prices, he said.

Persons: Price, ”, Gregory Daco, Jerome Powell, Chris Rupkey, FwdBonds, shouldn’t, Stuart Hoffman, ” Hoffman Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, PPI, PNC Financial Services Locations: Minneapolis, August’s, Libya, Israel

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — What would Bob Ross think? Growing up in a small town, Nelson said he was introduced to art through Ross' show and loves his paintings. “This isn’t an institution that’s telling you that Bob Ross is great. It’s not some high-brow gallery telling you that Bob Ross is great. Nelson bought the painting last year and then gave it a “not for sale” price of $9.85 million, said publicist Megan Hoffman.

Persons: Bob Ross, Ross, ” Ryan Nelson, Nelson, ” Ross —, we’ve, Michelangelo, ” Ross, ”, ” Nelson, It’s, Ross ’, Megan Hoffman, Hoffman, Nelson isn't, “ Ryan, ” Hoffman, “, he's Organizations: PBS Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, Minneapolis, perm, Falls Creek , Virginia

☆ Quebec, Canada wildfires made twice as likely through climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The severity of Quebec’s fire season up to the end of July was also made 50% more intense by climate change, according to the report. French firefighters try to extinguish wildfires at Lac Larouche in Quebec, Canada, on June 28, 2023. It is by far the worst wildfire season Canada has ever experienced, and there are still more than two months left to go. They then used climate models to understand the role climate change played. Climate change also made the peak fire weather in Quebec during the same period at least twice as likely and 20% more intense, according to the report.

Persons: Friederike Otto, It’s, ”, Clair Barnes, Emma UIISC7, David Dee Delgado, “, James MacDonald, Kira Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Michael Flannigan, Otto Organizations: CNN, WWA, Grantham Institute, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Canada, Bloomberg, University of British, Research, “, Predictive Services, Emergency Management, Thompson Rivers University Locations: Canada, Quebec, Illinois, Canadian, Western Europe, Bronx, New York City, Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, British Columbia, Cameron, Port Alberni , British Columbia, University of British Columbia

Five decades ago, Jim Ziglar witnessed the landmark Roe v. Wade decision take shape inside the Supreme Court chambers. Jim Ziglar, center left, clerked for Justice Harry Blackmun, center right, in 1972-1973, the session in which Blackmun wrote the landmark majority decision for Roe v. Wade. Blackmun, Frampton said, "really wanted to become an expert in the history of abortion and the history of abortion law." The Supreme Court clerks who served in the 1972-1973 session, in which the Roe v. Wade decision was handed down. Richard Hoffman and Rhesa Barksdale worked as clerks for Supreme Court Justice Byron White in the 1972-1973 session, in which White wrote the dissenting opinion in the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

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