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☆ Dell pays $2.3 million to settle claims that it overcharged the US Army for computers
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementDell has agreed to pay $2.3 million to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act. Dell and reseller Iron Bow overcharged the US Army for computers over four years, the DOJ said. Dell has agreed to pay $2.3 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act in its business with the US Army. Iron Bow has agreed to pay just over $2 million to settle the claims, bringing the combined settlement to $4.3 million. Iron Bow did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Persons: Dell, Bow, Brent Lillard, Brandon Bell, Brian M, Boynton, Prim, Escalona, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy Organizations: Dell, US Army, DOJ, The, Justice, Army, Army Desktop, Mobile Computing, Government, Justice Department's Civil, Northern, Northern District of, Elon, " Department of Government, Business Locations: Texas, Bow, United States, Northern District, Northern District of Alabama

☆ South Korea says K-pop stars aren't classed as workers and don't get labor rights
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Hannah Abraham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It said that member Hanni was not legally classified as a worker under her contract. South Korea's government on Wednesday dismissed a workplace harassment case involving K-pop star Hanni, saying the singer was not legally classified as a worker. The push and pull between what counts as work in South Korea's entertainment industry has stretched on for years. The Ministry's ruling on South Korea's musician rights is similar to the situation in the US. Representatives for HYBE and the South Korean Labor Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Persons: Hanni, Hybe, HANNI, Cho Dae Won, Dae Won, NewJeans, Calvin Klein Organizations: Wednesday, South Korea's National Assembly, Ministry, Employment, Labor, Act, Korea Herald, Nike, Forbes, NME, LA Times, National Labor Relations, Representatives, HYBE, South Korean Labor Ministry Locations: Korea, South, South Korea's, North Korea, Forbes Korea

☆ DOGE wants to 'delete' entire federal agencies, Vivek Ramaswamy says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementVivek Ramaswamy, cohead of DOGE, said he expects to recommend the wholesale closure of some agencies. Vivek Ramaswamy said to expect the abolishment of entire federal agencies as part of a sweeping restructure envisioned by DOGE. AdvertisementOn Sunday morning, Ramaswamy appeared on Fox News and was asked about DOGE's plans for the future of federal agencies. Maria Bartiromo, the Fox host interviewing Ramaswamy, mentioned the Department of Education as a possible cut, but Ramaswamy instead answered in general terms. Eliminating federal agencies could be a hard ask though.

Persons: Vivek Ramaswamy, cohead, Ramaswamy, Elon Musk, Trump, Donald Trump, Maria Bartiromo, Jack Newsham Organizations: Department of, President, Fox News, of Education, Fox, Republican, Congress, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, FBI

☆ How century-old arbitration laws are failing consumers in the digital age
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

AdvertisementLarge companies like Disney and Uber have arbitration clauses in their Terms of Use. AdvertisementIt's a near-century-old practice that some legal experts say should be modernized for the digital age. The Disney caseIn the case of large companies, arbitration clauses included in one service can often apply to any service the company offers. AdvertisementHow consumers protect themselves from arbitration clausesCammarata said one way consumers can navigate arbitration is to check if a company's terms of use has an opt-out clause. Lee said that while courts tend to be critical of arbitration clauses in employment agreements, they're less so regarding things like streaming services or rideshare apps.

Persons: David Horton, Jeffrey Piccolo's, Kanokporn Tangsuan, Tangsuan, Piccolo, Disney, Josh D'Amaro, Joseph Cammarata, Sherman, Siegel, P.C, John, Georgia McGinty, Uber, Stark, John McGinty, Georgia McGinty Stacey Lee, Johns, Lee, Cammarata, it's, John Carpenter, Carpenter, Zuckerman Organizations: Disney, University of California, Davis, School of Law, University of Pennsylvania, New, New York State, Disney Springs, Planet Hollywood, Walt Disney, Getty, Ninth, Business, Washington DC, of, Georgia, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Association of America, Federal Locations: New York, Central Florida, Orange County , Florida, Chaikin, Washington, Georgia, Superior, of New Jersey, California

☆ Defense tech companies like Anduril hope Trump can streamline military contracts
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Others in the defense industry are less optimistic. Tech billionaire Palmer Luckey's bet on the defense industry is paying off at Anduril, the drone-making company he founded. AdvertisementSacknoff said that procurement reform in the defense industry is not a new concept and that the Defense Department is always restructuring its contracting process. Richard Aboulafia, managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm, said that reforming the defense industry will take time. AdvertisementSacknoff said the military defense business is always looking for a "counter" to the newest technology and that the growth of autonomous drones would likely bring more innovations to stop them.

Persons: Palmer Luckey, Anduril, Palmer Luckey's, Donald Trump's, Brian Schrimf, Schrimpf, Scott Sacknoff, Sacknoff, Richard Aboulafia, Abaulafia, DefenseScoop, Tesla, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt Organizations: Tech, Yahoo, Spade, Defense Department, Teledyne, Defense, Google Locations: Anduril, United States, Saudi Arabia

☆ Elon Musk is looking for trillions in government waste, and defense is a massive potential target
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Elon Musk to help spearhead cuts to government spending, and the defense sector could be a prime target. But Musk's past comments hint at one area he could target: defense contracts. Musk built SpaceX's business model around fixed-price contracts. Musk's new initiative could recommend exactly this: a move away from cost-plus contracts toward fixed-price contracts. An aerial view of the Pentagon AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, FileMusk's new initiative may target other areas of Pentagon spending, as well.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon, Elon Musk, It's, Trump, Musk, Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Clayton Swope, Walter Isaacson's, Swope, John Raoux Overspending, Gerald R, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Ford, Steve Helber, Bryan McGrath, Todd Harrison, —, Harrison, Michael Bohnert, they've, Archer Macy, Patrick Semansky, John Harvey Jr, Mississippi Sen, Roger Wicker Organizations: Defense, Pentagon, Department of Government, SpaceX, NASA, AP, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Services, International Space, Kennedy Space Center, Littoral, Ford, DoD, Republican, Palantir Technologies, Newport News Shipbuilding, American Enterprise Institute, Shipbuilding, BAE Systems, RAND Corporation, CSIS, US Air Force, Navy, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Pennsylvania, Columbia, China, Wisconsin, Virginia, Mississippi

☆ Private prison stocks jump after Trump appoints immigration hard-liner as 'border czar'
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Private prison stocks rose on Monday after President-elect Donald Trump selected immigration hard-liner Tom Homan as his “border czar.”The Geo Group jumped more than 4% and and CoreCivic nearly 8% in premarket trading. Homan served as the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump’s first term. Homan told a conservative conference in July that he “will run the biggest deportation operation this country has ever seen” when Trump returns to office. The second Trump administration would allow for contracting with the U.S. Marshalls Services and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Boltansky said. “More importantly they would take a far more aggressive stance on border enforcement, which would impact the ICE business lines at these firms,” the analyst told clients.

Persons: Donald Trump, Tom Homan, Homan, Trump, ” Homan, ” Isaac Boltansky, Boltansky, “ Organizations: Geo Group, Immigration, “, Trump, White, U.S . Marshalls Services, Federal Bureau of Prisons

☆ Palmer Luckey and other defense tech leaders see Trump's victory as a win for the industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-10 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Defense tech startups are anticipating growth under Trump's second term. AdvertisementSome leaders in the defense tech industry, including Anduril cofounder Palmer Luckey, think that defense tech startups are poised for success during president-elect Donald Trump's second term. Over the last decade, Silicon Valley has made waves in the defense tech industry. Some of the defense tech industry's optimism for Trump's victory lies in SpaceX founder Elon Musk's proximity to the president-elect and his vice president, JD Vance, Forbes reported. Luckey told Bloomberg that Musk has "outperformed every reasonable expectation."

Persons: Palmer Luckey's Anduril, Elon Musk's, Vance, —, Palmer Luckey, Donald Trump's, Luckey, Anduril, Biden, Elon, JD Vance, Forbes, Nathan Mintz, Musk, it's, Donald Trump, Brian Schimf Organizations: Defense, Trump, Service, Meta, Teledyne, Defense Department, Bloomberg, SpaceX, Elon, Forbes, Republican, United Locations: United States

☆ 43 escaped research monkeys still loose in South Carolina after caretaker failed to shut two doors
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Patrick-Smith-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Patrick Smith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Police are still searching for 43 monkeys that escaped from a research facility in South Carolina on Wednesday, as the head of the company revealed that the outbreak happened when a staff member failed to secure a door properly. Police in Yemassee, Beaufort County, confirmed Thursday night that the primates were in the wooded region surrounding the Alpha Genesis facility, in a rural area on the edge of Yamassee. Locals were urged to lock windows and doors and not to interact with the monkeys and instead call 911 immediately upon spotting any of the escaped primates. Alpha Genesis carries out medical research for a range of clients for several conditions, including brain disorders. Meanwhile, animal rights advocates have raised concerns over the ethics of using primates in medical research on such a scale.

Persons: Greg Westergaard, Alpha Genesis, Westergaard, didn't, Kathleen Conlee, Lisa Jones, Engel Organizations: Police, Alpha, Alpha Genesis, NBC, U.S . Department of Agriculture, Humane Society of, PETA Locations: South Carolina, Yemassee, Beaufort County, Yamassee, United States, Washington

☆ China's stimulus plans are choking the profitability of its megabanks, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Anniek Bao | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A man on a mobile phone walks past a Bank of China Ltd. branch in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, on Thursday, March 27, 2014. China's largest state-owned banks are likely to see their record low profit margins decline even further as Beijing's broader stimulus package comes into play, analysts say. Still, that was 18 basis points lower from the beginning of this year. At the end of June, overall commercial bank margins dropped to 1.54%, a record low, according to official data from the national financial regulatory administration. They see NIM for state-owned banks contracting by 15-25 basis points in 2024, and "mid- to- high single-digit basis points" next year.

Persons: Agricultural Bank of China —, NIM, Karen Wu Organizations: Bank of China Ltd, — Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of, Bank of, CNBC, Morningstar Locations: Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, China's, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, Beijing

☆ Moderna posts surprise profit as Covid vaccine sales impress, cost cuts take hold
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Moderna on Thursday posted a surprise profit for the third quarter, smashing Wall Street estimates, as its cost-cutting efforts took hold and sales of its Covid vaccine came in higher than expected. Before year end, the company plans to file for approval of its experimental "next-generation" Covid vaccine and combination shot targeting Covid and the flu. Moderna this year also expects to apply for expanded approval of its RSV vaccine, targeting high-risk adults ages 18 to 59. "I think the earlier launch and a steeper ramp drove a much higher sales number" for the Covid vaccine, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in an interview. Analysts had expected sales of $132 million for the RSV vaccine, according to estimates compiled by StreetAccount.

Persons: Moderna, Stéphane Bancel, Bancel, StreetAccount, mull Organizations: Moderna, LSEG, Merck, Research Locations: U.S, Union, Norway, Iceland, Qatar, Europe

☆ The Philippines is prone to extreme weather. But few expected Tropical Storm Trami to be this devastating
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Philippines is struck by multiple typhoons a year and Trami was not an especially strong storm when it made landfall, at least in terms of windspeed. Residents use a boat to recover items from their flooded homes as the storm inundated Libon town, Albay province, Philippines on Thursday October 24, 2024. A neighborhood in Talisay, Batangas province, Philippines was swept away by a landslide triggered by Tropical Storm Trami on October 26, 2024. Villagers gather to pay respects to family and friends who died after a landslide hit their homes triggered by Tropical Storm Trami, in Talisay, Batangas province on October 26, 2024. A man crosses a flooded rice field as Trami dumped heavy rains at Libon town, Albay province, Philippines on October 24, 2024.

Persons: Trami, Kristine, ” Garlan, Garland, “ We’re, ”, John Michael Magdasoc, Ferdinand Marcos, we’ll, ” Marcos, Aaron Favila, Hermilando Mandanas, Raynaldo Dejucos, –, “ I’m, ” Dejucos, Heinrich Sandrino, Sandrino, Marcos, Kong Rey, Gaemi, Typhoon Yagi Organizations: CNN, Trami, Residents, Typhoon Kong, PTV, AP, Kong Locations: Philippines, Bicol, Sorsogon, Bulan, Sorsogon –, Manila, Libon, Albay, Philippine, Batangas province, Trami, Talisay, Batangas, Typhoon, Leon, Bicol’s, Camarines Sur, China, Vietnam, Thua Thien Hue, Taiwan, Luzon, Southeast Asia

☆ Illnesses from bacteria in food are on the rise. A doctor explains how to avoid them
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

I wanted to know about foodborne illnesses and what can be done to improve food safety practices. And what should people do to reduce their chances of contracting foodborne illnesses? Dr. Leana Wen: There are several bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause foodborne infections. The most common foodborne infection is caused by norovirus, which causes about half of all outbreaks of food-related illnesses in the US. Local health departments will keep you updated on possible foodborne illnesses associated with local stores and restaurants.

Persons: Leana Wen, Wen Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, Eye Foundation, Nat, George Washington University Locations: United States

☆ Karen Read supporter denies intimidating witnesses with rubber ducks and fake $100 bills
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

BOSTON — The Karen Read murder case has inspired crowds of pink-clad supporters, divided a Massachusetts town and provided juicy content for true crime podcasters. Now, rubber ducks are in the mix. The 65-year-old Schiffer didn’t speak during his brief appearance in Stoughton District Court but greeted several dozen supporters outside. Several wore T-shirts emblazoned with rubber ducks, while some carried American flags or placards supporting Read. Schiffer has been among the dozens of Read supporters who accuse state and local law enforcement of a widespread coverup.

Persons: Karen Read, Richard Schiffer Jr, he’s, Read, John O’Keefe, Schiffer, “, ” Schiffer, ”, Alan Jackson, Timothy Bradl, ” Bradl, don’t, O’Keefe, Brian Albert, Brian Albert’s, Chris Albert, Aidan Timothy Kearney, ” Turtleboy, Rich, we’re Organizations: BOSTON, Boston, Canton, Norfolk, Attorney’s Locations: Massachusetts, Stoughton District, “, Boston, Canton, O’Keefe’s neighborhood

☆ IMF warns on China's property market worsening as it cuts country's growth outlook
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned of a possible worsening of the state of China's property market as it trimmed its growth expectations for the world's second-largest economy. In a report published Tuesday, the IMF trimmed its forecast for growth in China for this year to 4.8%, 0.2 percentage points lower than in its July projection. In 2025, growth is expected to come in at 4.5%, according to the IMF. The Washington, D.C.-based organization also highlighted that China's property sector contracting by more than expected is one of many downside risks for the global economic outlook. Subsidies in certain sectors, if targeted to boost exports, could exacerbate trade tensions with China's trading partners," the agency said.

Persons: Qilai Shen, Gourinchas Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Monetary Fund, IMF, The, D.C, U.S, Reuters Locations: Nanjing, Shanghai, China, The Washington, Japan

☆ The US risks being caught off-guard by a recession with the labor market far weaker than most realize, strategist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wall Street should still being watching out for a possible recession, said strategist Paul Dietrich. If temporary government jobs were removed from the lastjobs report, unemployment would be 4.5%, Dietrich said. AdvertisementThe US is riding high, but one strategist says economic optimism will eventually be cut short as unseen labor weakness bites. AdvertisementThat plays into Dietrich's broader point that rising unemployment can be a sure sign of recession. Though other analysts have also scrutinized the unemployment rate, its importance has been questioned in today's unusual economic cycle.

Persons: Paul Dietrich, Dietrich, —, Riley, Wall, joblessness, Dietrich isn't Organizations: Service, Riley Wealth, US

☆ Even the strongest pillar of the Chinese economy is showing signs of weakness
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's export growth slowed in September, raising concerns about future economic stability. China may delay further economic stimulus ahead of the US election, anticipating potential tariffs. The market had expected China's exports to grow 6% on-year in September, according to a Reuters' poll of economists. AdvertisementThe timing of the decline in China's exports also came at an untimely moment — weeks before the US presidential election. Beijing has rejected this view, saying the West's accusations are protectionist and aimed at containing China's economic growth.

Persons: —, hasn't, Lu Daliang, Donald Trump, Rory Green, GlobalData.TS Lombard, Green Organizations: Service, Reuters, EU, Administration of Customs, Nomura, BofA Securities, Republican, Authorities, Trump, US Locations: China, Japan, South Korea, Beijing

☆ Hubble telescope captures Jupiter’s Great Red Spot contracting like a stress ball
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —New observations of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot captured by the Hubble Space Telescope show that the 190-year-old storm wiggles like gelatin and shape-shifts like a squeezed stress ball. Although storms are generally considered unstable, the Great Red Spot has persisted for nearly two centuries. Recently, a separate team of astronomers peered into the heart of the Great Red Spot using the James Webb Space Telescope to capture new details in infrared light. The Great Red Spot seems to wiggle like a bowl of gelatin over the 90-day period. NASA/ESA/STScI/Amy SimonThe new Hubble study fills in more pieces of the puzzle about the Great Red Spot, Fletcher said.

Persons: Hubble, it’s, ”, Amy Simon, we’ve, ” Simon, James Webb, Leigh Fletcher, Simon, ” Fletcher, Joseph DePasquale, Mike Wong, “, Wong, Fletcher Organizations: CNN, Hubble, Science, Planetary Sciences, Goddard Space Flight, NASA, ESA, of Geophysical Research, UK’s University of Leicester, University of California Locations: Boise , Idaho, Greenbelt , Maryland, Berkeley

☆ Deloitte feels the wrath of Trump world over leaked JD Vance messages
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Trump allies are calling for the federal government to punish Deloitte after an employee at the consulting firm apparently shared his private messages with JD Vance. The Post did not reveal who corresponded with Vance, now Trump’s running mate, and leaked those communications. “Maybe it’s time for the GOP to end Deloitte’s taxpayer funded gravy train?” Trump Jr. wrote on X, noting that Deloitte receives billions of dollars in government contracts. Trump Jr. told CNN he was speaking his mind as a private citizen. Neither Trump nor Vance have publicly threatened Deloitte, and it’s worth noting that Trump Jr. has indicated he does not plan to serve in the federal government.

Persons: CNN —, JD Vance, Donald Trump, Trump, Vance, Donald Trump Jr, ” Trump, Jason Miller, Trump Jr, “, ”, Kamala Harris, ” “, GOP Sen, Eric Schmitt, he’s, ” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, John Deere, Davidson, ” “ Donald Trump, ” Richard Painter, George W, Bush, ” Painter, Painter, MAGA, Jonathan Gandal, Yale’s, ” Norman Eisen, it’s, ” Eisen Organizations: CNN, CNN — Trump, Deloitte, Washington Post, GOP, Trump, Department of Defense, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Homeland Security, Trump Jr, White, Yale, Leadership, Department, Google, Apple, Harley, US Postal Service, Motors, University of Minnesota, ”, ” Trump Jr, Post, Wall Street, ” “ Deloitte, “ Deloitte, Brookings Institution, DOJ

☆ Al Pacino reveals he nearly died of Covid-19 – and gives his thoughts on the afterlife
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Rosa Rahimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Al Pacino has revealed that he nearly died of Covid-19 in 2020, and shared his view on what happens after death. In interviews with The New York Times and People magazine, the Oscar-winning actor recounted his experience contracting the virus and briefly having no pulse. Pacino, 84, told the Times in a wide-ranging interview that he began to feel “unusually not good” and then developed a fever and was dehydrated. Asked if the health scare changed the way he lives his life, Pacino told People: “Not at all.”But that isn’t to say the experience left the actor unchanged. Pacino, who is currently preparing for a movie adaptation of Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” confirmed to The New York Times that the experience had a metaphysical effect.

Persons: CNN — Al Pacino, Oscar, ”, “, you’re, ‘, Pacino, ” Pacino, Shakespeare’s “ King Lear, bourn, “ You’re, I’d, Sonny Boy Organizations: CNN, New York Times, People, Times, The New York Times

☆ Food poisoning dangers are real after severe weather. Here’s how to protect yourself
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-06 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

When the power goes out, it’s a race against time to make sure food doesn’t spoil. “Bacteria multiply quickly between temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit,” CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen told CNN. Once the power is cut, a full freezer can hold a safe temperature for 48 hours with the door closed. They should also be kept in separate areas of the refrigerator any day of the week, regardless of the weather. If you are in one of these high-risk groups, the CDC recommends paying special attention to food safety procedures when buying, preparing, cooking and storing your food.

Persons: it’s, Leana Wen, ”, –, Bill Marler, ” Marler, they’re, Don’t, Hurricane Helene, Bryan Olin Dozier, Wen, Marler Organizations: CNN — Hurricanes, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, CNN, Press Locations: Seattle, CJ's, Lansing , North Carolina

☆ A couple took 31 trips to Orlando and vacationed at Walt Disney World using government funds, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-06 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

They took 31 trips to Orlando, where they "spent time at the pool and Disney parks," the DOJ said. AdvertisementAn Army contractor and his girlfriend used government funds to finance personal vacations across the country, including 31 trips to Orlando, federal prosecutors say. A federal judge sentenced Chantelle Boyd, 53, on October 2 to six months of home confinement and two years of supervised release. A judge sentenced Bouchard in August to 12 months and one day in prison, then one year of supervised release. "For many of the trips, Bouchard and Boyd stayed in the same hotel room and spent time at the pool and Disney parks — all during business hours," federal prosecutors said.

Persons: —, Chantelle Boyd, Thomas Bouchard, Boyd, Bouchard, " Bouchard Organizations: Army, DOJ, Service, Justice Department, US Army Natick Contracting, Defense Department, US Attorney's, Massachusetts, Business, The Defense Department, US Army Locations: Orlando, Massachusetts, Maryland , Virginia , Alabama, Clearwater , Florida

☆ Dozens of zoo tigers die after contracting bird flu in southern Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Story Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hanoi, Vietnam AP —More than a dozen tigers were incinerated after the animals contracted bird flu at a zoo in southern Vietnam, officials said. The panther and 20 tigers, including several cubs, weighed between 10 and 120 kilograms (20 and 265 pounds) when they died. Samples taken from the tigers tested positive for H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu. The 30 staff members who were taking care of the tigers tested negative for bird flu and were in normal health condition, VNExpress reported. Bird flu has caused hundreds of deaths around the world, the vast majority of them involving direct contact between people and infected birds.

Persons: VNExpress, ”, Nguyen Ba Phuc, Jason Baker, ” Baker Organizations: Vietnam AP, Health, ” PETA, Associated Press Locations: Hanoi, Vietnam, Vuon, Bien Hoa, Long An, United States, California

☆ The economy is in an industrial recession and higher oil prices could spark a full downturn, Wall Street economist says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US is in an industrial recession, according to Piper Sandler economist Jake Oubina. A spike in oil prices could be enough to tip the economy into a full recession, Oubina added. But in general, the economy's showing an industrial recession," Oubina said in an interview with Fox Business on Tuesday. AdvertisementThe economy could slip into a broader recession if there's a spike in oil and energy prices, Oubina added. "Oil prices spiking, energy prices spiking in the past, have been enough to tip the economy from a slowing into a recession.

Persons: Piper Sandler, Jake Oubina, —, That's, Oubina, Brent Organizations: Service, Institute of Supply Management, Fox Business, Atlanta Fed, Bank of America Locations: Iran, Israel

☆ Israel faces a major issue in how deep it should go in Lebanon, security experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Israel launched ground incursions into Lebanon on Tuesday, opening up a new war front. AdvertisementIsrael faces a security dilemma in deciding how far it should go in its operations inside Lebanon, according to security experts. A more perilous terrain than GazaIsrael's ground operations inside Lebanon bear some resemblance to the ones it conducted in Gaza about a year ago. He mentioned Israel's own "costly" experiences of invasion in Lebanon, including the Second Israeli Invasion of Lebanon of 1982 and the Second Lebanon War in 2006. AdvertisementHowever, those sums, and Israel's overall military calculations, could quickly change if Iran gets involved on the side of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Persons: Israel, —, Hezbollah's, Hassan Nasrallah, Ameneh, MENAHEM KAHANA, ACLED, Israel isn't, Ramiz, Yannay Spitzer, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: IDF, Service, Israel Defense Forces, Global Governance Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute, Hezbollah, Getty, Middle East Security, Royal United Services Institute, Raleigh, Israel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Media, UN, Israeli Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Raleigh, East, Gaza, Galilee, AFP, Lebanese, Hiyam, Nabatieh, Anadolu, Mehvar, Israeli, Tehran

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