DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

A police officer and a suspected shooter were injured Tuesday after gunfire erupted at a Midtown Atlanta building occupied by a Four Seasons hotel and residences, authorities said. The officer was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference. Police responded to the high rise after 10 a.m. following a dispute between a Four Seasons worker and the man on the 33rd floor, which is occupied by residences, Schierbaum said. The Four Seasons hotel takes up 19 of 53 stories of the high rise and occupies 244 rooms, 23 of which are designated suites. Brian Carr, spokesperson for the Midtown Alliance in Atlanta, said the high rise also includes 96 residences and 97,000 square feet of office space.

Persons: Darin Schierbaum, Schierbaum, Andre Dickens, Brian Carr Organizations: Atlanta Police, Police, Georgia Bureau, Investigation, Midtown Alliance Locations: Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta

☆ When Europe’s railroad dining cars were the height of luxury
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The most luxurious experience of them all, however, could be found in the dining car. The latter was the first train car to offer on-board meals, including regional specialties like gumbo, which were prepared in a 3-foot-by-6 foot kitchen. By the 1870s, dining cars could be found on sleeper trains across North America. But this decentralized production model also contained the seed of dining car’s ultimate demise. And despite a revival of interest in train travel on the continent, dining cars (or certainly those equipped with kitchens) are now largely the preserve of tourist services.

Persons: —, impeccably, Henri Opper de Blowitz, Francois Guillot, Graham Greene, Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, George Pullman, ”, Pullman, Georges Nagelmackers, Arthur Mettetal, “, René Prou, glassmaker, ” —, Mettetal, ” Mettetal Organizations: CNN, Orient Express, Gare de, Getty, New, Compagnie Internationale des, Orient, Nord, Express, “, Pullman, Deco, Italy —, Bettmann, SNCF, Documentation Department Locations: Gare, Gare de l’Est, Paris, Europe, Constantinople, Istanbul, AFP, Britain, America, New York, North America, Belgian, Saint Petersburg, Lisbon, France, North Africa, East, London, Vichy, Switzerland, Italy, Toulouse

☆ A stunning sterling rally is about to collide with Britain's political realities
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sterling breached $1.33 against the greenback for the first time since March 2022 on Thursday, and was trading at $1.3315 early London time Monday. The pound's rally was tied to the BOE communication and "looks fully justified," Chris Turner, global head of markets at ING, said in a Friday note. Higher rates are traditionally a positive for a domestic currency as the higher yield can attract more foreign capital. watch nowGabriella Dickens, G7 economist at AXA Investment Managers, also cautioned on the pound's outlook in a note Thursday. If the government is more stringent on fiscal policy, we think the Bank will be forced to increase the pace of the cutting cycle to offset the hit on both households' and businesses' finances."

Persons: Keir Starmer, BOE, Chris Turner, Turner, Jane Foley, Gabriella Dickens, Dickens Organizations: Bank of England, Labour, Sterling, greenback, London, ING, Fed, U.K, European Union, Rabobank London, CNBC, AXA Investment, Bank, quicken Locations: Britain, –

☆ How Elon Musk hopes his new supercomputers will boost his businesses
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-21 | by ( Magdalena Petrova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Dojo will process and train AI models using the large amounts of video and data captured by Tesla cars. Subscriptions to Tesla's FSD features cost $99 a month and include automatic lane changes, automatic parking and automatic stopping for traffic lights and stop signs. Tesla hopes Dojo, which Musk says has been running tasks for Tesla since 2023, will change that. Musk has said that Tesla plans to spend $10 billion this year on AI. To learn more about Elon Musk's supercomputer plans, watch the video.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, They've, let's, Steven Dickens, Cruise, Didi, Musk Organizations: Futurum, Baidu, Microsoft, Google, Memphis, Elon Locations: Buffalo , New York, Austin , Texas, China, Memphis , Tennessee

☆ Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer dies at 58
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

ATLANTA — Walt Ehmer, the president and CEO of Waffle House and a member of the board of trustees for the Atlanta Police Foundation, has died at age 58, the foundation announced Sunday. Steve Helber / AP“His leadership, dedication and warmth touched the lives of many, both within the Waffle House family and beyond. The board of directors for Waffle House issued a statement Sunday afternoon saying Ehmer died after a long illness. Ehmer was chair of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2013 and served numerous organizations, including the Georgia Tech Foundation Board and the Georgia Tech Advisory Board. The Waffle House chain of around-the-clock diners opened in 1955 and now boasts more than 1,900 locations in 25 states.

Persons: Walt Ehmer, Ehmer, Hurricane Florence, Steve Helber, ”, Andre Dickens, “ Organizations: ATLANTA, Waffle, Atlanta Police Foundation, Waffle House, Georgia Tech University, Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Georgia Tech Foundation Board, Georgia Tech Advisory Board, The Atlanta Locations: Wilmington, N.C, Hurricane, Ehmer

☆ Dan Stevens on His Best Movie, TV Roles: 'Downton Abbey,' 'Legion'
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Caralynn Matassa | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Advertisement"I think career is defined as much by what you say no to as what you say yes to," Stevens tells Business Insider. He famously devastated "Downton Abbey" fans by requesting to leave the beloved period drama, which necessitated killing off his fan-favorite character Matthew Crawley. "There was a real openness to see actors try things that they've not necessarily been seen in before over here, and that was very, very appealing to me," Stevens says. AdvertisementOn the excitement and terror of leaving 'Downton Abbey'Dan Stevens was one-half of the most popular couple on "Downton Abbey." AdvertisementAnd one that I particularly enjoy is when people say how much they enjoyed "High Maintenance," which was a show that I really really loved being a part of.

Persons: Dan Stevens, It's, King, Abigail, Stevens, Charles Dickens, Matthew Crawley, Herr König, terrorizes, Hunter Schafer, he's, Cousin Matthew, Felix Dickinson, it's, Downton, Al Pacino, ITV It's, I've, you've, —, Emma Watson, Emma, Harry Potter, that'll, You've, haven't, Robert Eggers, Lisa Frankenstein, Zelda Williams, We've, they've Organizations: Business, ITV, Marvel, HBO Locations: Queens, Downton, Russian

☆ Harris Atlanta rally will test her momentum on the ground in a key swing state
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at a campaign event in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on July 27, 2024. Georgia Democratic lawmakers such as Williams and U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock will also be there, along with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. In the week since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race against former President Donald Trump, Harris has enjoyed a surge of grassroots momentum and high-dollar donations. Megan Thee Stallion performs during the Times Square New Year's Eve 2024 Celebration in New York City on Dec. 31, 2023.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Stephanie Scarbrough, Harris, Megan Thee Stallion, Nikema Williams, Greg Bluestein, Gov, Geoff Duncan, Williams, Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Stacey Abrams, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, You've, Dan Kanninen, Megan Thee, Noam Galai Organizations: Reuters, Georgia State University, Biden, U.S . Rep, Democratic, Atlanta, Republican, Georgia Democratic, Sens, Atlanta Mayor, Times, Getty Locations: Pittsfield , Massachusetts, Atlanta, U.S, Georgia, Black, New York City

☆ How ‘cat lady’ became an insult for women of a certain age
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —The stereotypical “cat lady” is one of pop culture’s most bizarre characters — and easiest punching bags. And though Vance’s description of “cat lady” didn’t include “crazy,” madness has been associated with “cat ladies” for over a century. “There is something about the independence of cats, something I like about them, which can be linked with a suspicion of independent women,” said Alice Madicott, whose book “Cat Women” prods the “crazy cat lady” stereotype. Many women proudly reclaim ‘cat lady’So-called cat ladies have been reclaiming the term for more than a century. And since Vance’s comments resurfaced this week, “childless cat lady” is now appearing on new merchandise including bumper stickers and yard signs.

Persons: Eleanor Abernathy, “ Big Edie ” Beale, She’s, Robert DeNiro, She’s …, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump’s, Sen, JD Vance, Tucker Carlson, “, ”, Harris, “ We’re, they’ve, ” Vance, Pete Buttigieg, we’ve, Harris “, Fiona Probyn, doesn’t, ” She’s, Rapsey, Vance, ’, haggard, Bastet, Corey Wrenn, Wrenn, Amir Makar, Agnes Waterhouse, Alice Madicott, untameable, Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, couldn’t, ” Rodriguez McRobbie, Havisham, Charles Dickens ’, Rodriguez McRobbie, Jane Austen, Miss Bates, “ Emma ”, Austen, spinsters, Hart Ayrault, Tom Cats, William Henry Ellam, Ken Florey, suffragettes, Big, Susan Michals, ” Michals, Women’s suffragists, suffragists Nell Richardson, Alice Burke, Michals, she’s, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zoë Kravitz, Halle Berry, Catwoman, who’s, Pfeiffer, Kravitz’s, Holly Golightly, Taylor Swift, Raymond Hall, ” Madicott, Swift, Kerstin Emhoff, Harris ’, Ella Emhoff, Jennifer Aniston, ’ —, Swifties Organizations: CNN, University of Wollongong, Democratic, University of Kent, Roman, Getty, Boston Globe, United, American Veterinary Medical Association Locations: Springfield, Australia, Egypt, Alexandria, AFP, Europe, England, “ Grey, New York, United States

☆ Britain's Labour pulled off a thumping election victory with just 34% of the national vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Vicky Mckeever | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Toby Melville | ReutersLONDON — The U.K.'s Labour Party won a huge parliamentary majority in the country's general election, but a quirk of the British electoral system means it did so with just 34% of the total votes cast. Results show that the opposition Labour Party has won 412 parliamentary seats of the total 650, with just two seats yet to be declared. This translates as roughly 63% of the total seats, but Labour has won just 34% of the total "popular" vote, while the Conservative Party has secured nearly 24% of that number. Meanwhile, smaller parties including the centrist Liberal Democrats, right-wing Reform U.K. and the Greens took nearly 43% of the popular vote but gained just less than 18% of the seats available. Unlike in other voting systems, there are no second rounds or ranking of first- and second-choice candidates, meaning it can be difficult for smaller parties to translate an increased share of the popular vote into parliamentary seats.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Victoria Starmer, Toby Melville, Gabriella Dickens, Dickens Organizations: British, Labour, Reuters LONDON, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Greens, U.K, AXA Investment, Scottish National Party Locations: London, Britain

☆ The retirement Catch-22
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Ann C. Logue | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The current Social Security retirement age is 67, but most Americans depart the workforce earlier than that. Instead of making it easier for Americans to save for retirement and work as long (or as short) as they want, Fink is setting up a catch-22: The economy needs aging Americans to work longer, but many companies simply don't want them. One of Button's studies looked at "bridge jobs , " part-time jobs in administration or retail that many people use to ease into retirement and cushion their finances. The same year, Scripps Medical Clinic in San Diego was ordered to pay $6.9 million for setting a mandatory retirement age for physicians of 70, regardless of the doctors' interest or abilities. And some older workers have heard all the corporate buzzwords and blather before, so they don't buy into management's sloganeering, rendering them "difficult."

Persons: Larry Fink, behemoth BlackRock, Fink, Daniel Ross, Ross, he's, Emily Dickens, SHRM's, We've, Stacie Haller, Patrick Button, Button, ResumeBuilder.com, Gen, we've, Mother Jones, Lilly Organizations: Social Security, Lawyers, Society, Human Resources Management, US Chamber of Commerce, Tulane University, IBM, Employment, Commission, Scripps Medical Clinic, Employers Locations: Down, Texas, Austin, San Diego

☆ Retirement Crisis: Boomers Need to Work Longer, No One Will Hire Them
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Ann C. Logue | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

In order to avoid economic catastrophe, he argued, people should save more money and work longer. The current Social Security retirement age is 67, but most Americans depart the workforce earlier than that. For one, many older people cannot work because of a disability or because they need to care for someone else with a disability. And some older workers have heard all the corporate buzzwords and blather before, so they don't buy into management's sloganeering, rendering them "difficult." He's asking people who have not yet retired to work longer than their elders did and to save even more money, without changing the systematic barriers to either.

☆ Alice Munro, Nobel Prize winner and ‘master of the short story,’ dies aged 92
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Yahya Salem | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Alice Munro, the Nobel Literature Prize winner best known for her mastery of short stories and depictions of womanhood in rural settings, has died in Ontario, Canada, at the age of 92. The news was confirmed to CNN “with great sadness” by a spokesperson at her publisher, Penguin Random House. It largely sets the tone for Munro’s prose; semi-autobiographical in nature and exploring the universality of the human urge for self-discovery, love, and independence, through the mundanity of everyday life in small, rural communities. Alice Munro, left, and Margaret Atwood at the National Arts Club in February 2005. Munro’s mastery of short stories and literature has been lauded by many of her contemporaries.

Persons: Alice Munro, Munro, “, Emily Brontë, Charles Dickens, Lucy Maud Montgomery, ”, ” Stephen Pearson, James Munro, Catherine, Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, Carson McCullers, —, General’s, ” Munro, Margaret Atwood, Atwood, Diane Bondareff, James Wood Organizations: CNN, Penguin Random, “ The Paris, Guardian, Fairfax Media, University of Western, CBC, Yorker, National Arts Club, Literature Locations: Ontario, Canada, Wingham , Ontario, ”, University of Western Ontario, Vancouver, Victoria, Canadian, Russian

☆ How Mother Figures Impact Our Lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Catherine Pearson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

For Mother’s Day, The Times asked readers to tell us about the mother figures in their lives. KELLY SANDOVAL, 48, SQUAMISH, B.C., CANADAI come from a multicultural background, but the Puerto Rican side of the family lived far away. When I showed up, Linda, my host mother, picked me up from the bus stop and made me tea and crumpets. If I had a nightmare and woke my mother up, she would tell me to climb into bed with Rita. During that year I also moved into my first apartment, away from the guidance of my mother.

Persons: Sara Walcott, “, ”, Walcott, Ruth, she’d, JUDITH SHAPIRO, Halbeck, ZEVA OELBAUM, Jacqueline, ” Jacqueline, It’s, JESSICA CHAHINE, Patty, darlin, KELLY SANDOVAL, Alina, “ Fallon, FALLON ALVAREZ, Linda, We’re, BELLA MUNTZ KIRCHNER, AUSTIN , TEXAS Tenzin, CHANTAL TORTOROLI ROBERTS, Mom, idealists, ANNETTE EUFEMIO, Miss Jordan, MARJORIE GEORGE, Yoshibe, I’m, MARY HAYES, Viola, Lois, Aunt Flossy, Frankye, DOUG MOURER, MANSON, Colleen, WENDY, Greenberg, Bach, MANUEL FIGALLO, Rita, HARRIET LISS, MARY EILEEN CONNERY McDONNELL, Wilma, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, MADLYN DICKENS, Dunn, —, Parkinson’s, I’ve, ” GENEVIEVE GEER, ANYA SANCHEZ, mami ”, Kitty ” —, KITTY CHACHRA Organizations: The Times, SOUTH, CANADA, Radio City Music Hall, Miss, Gloucester Cathedral, THE, The Locations: Macon , Ga, McLEAN , VA, Kansas City, Mo, New York, MONTCLAIR, N.J, France, Paris, SQUAMISH, Puerto Rican, PORTLAND, Cambridge, England, AUSTIN , TEXAS, LARCHMONT, MANILA, PHILIPPINES, BROOKLYN, N.Y, Japan, INDIANAPOLIS, Walla Walla, Wash, Northern Idaho, Swedish, Seattle, I’m, BELLINGHAM, ARLINGTON , VA, STAMFORD, CONN, GEORGETOWN, THE BRONX, MARATHON, Cava, Spain, BOULDER, COLO, India, Toronto, longhand, Delhi, WATERLOO , ONTARIO

☆ I visited Dollywood's sister theme park in the Ozark mountains. The hidden gem's attractions and food were just as good as Disney's.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Carly Caramanna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewOne of my favorite hidden-gem theme parks is Silver Dollar City, nestled in the Ozark Mountains in Branson, Missouri. Both are owned by Herschend Family Entertainment, though Silver Dollar City opened first in 1960. I've visited theme parks all over the world and this now ranks as one of my favorites. There are also unique attractions at Silver Dollar City that I haven't experienced anywhere else — Grandfather's Mansion was one of my favorites. The food is fantastic and uniqueCarly CaramannaI'm a big foodie — especially at theme parks — and I was happy this park's eats lived up to the hype.

Persons: —, It's, I've, Carly Caramanna, I'd, Carly Caramanna It's, Carly Caramanna Grandfather's, that's, Carly Caramanna I'm, Delilah's, Dickens, Carol, An, Ward, She's, Dolly Parton's Organizations: Service, Dollar, Herschend Family Entertainment, Dollar City, Disney, Business, Silver Dollar, Marvel Locations: Ozark, Branson , Missouri, touristy, Branson there's

☆ From One Leaning Tower to Another, Tips to Stop the Tilt
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Leaning for centuries at a worrisome tilt, the Garisenda Tower in Bologna has endured insults and trauma. Dickens called it “sufficiently unsightly,” if extraordinary, while Goethe said it was “a spectacle that disgusts.” And then there were the earthquakes, the Allied bombing raids of the city during World War II and urbanization that doomed other towers. The Garisenda has stood through it all, a beloved symbol of this medieval city, a reminder of a past when important families or communities would erect towers to remind others of their status, and for defense. But now, the Garisenda is in trouble. After sensors attached to the monument, which leans at a 3.6 degree angle, picked up “anomalous movements” last year, alarmed experts issued what one called an “engineering code red.”In October, the Garisenda was cordoned off, with bright red protective barriers set up along part of its perimeter to limit the damage should the tower tumble, and a group of experts got to work on plans to safeguard it for the future, while watching for signs of imminent trouble.

Persons: Dickens, Goethe Organizations: Allied Locations: Bologna

☆ Opinion: Trump’s image is on the line
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. … Deals are my art form.”Having a lot of money distinguished him from other presidential candidates, Trump contended. ‘I don’t need anybody’s money,’ Trump said in his June 2015 presidential campaign announcement.”“Now Trump needs money, a lot of it. In July 2006, she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament and says that the two had sex that weekend. “Whatever the Fifth Circuit and Supreme Court decide next, the question for President Joe Biden is what to do now,” wrote Lawrence Downes.

Persons: Charles Dickens, “ David Copperfield, Micawber, ” Micawber, “, Dickens, Donald Trump, Letitia James, Trump, he’ll, ”, Tony Schwartz, I’ve, Frida Ghitis, ’ Trump, … Dana Summers, Joe Biden’s, Julian Zelizer, Biden’s, ” Bill Bramhall, Stormy Daniels, Peacock, Ana Marie Cox, Daniels, she’s, Peter Navarro, He’s, Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, House Republicans —, Matt Gaetz ’, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Johnson, Clay Jones, Paul Sracic, Fareed Zakaria, Biden, Peter Bergen, Bashar al, Assad, ” Bergen, Vladimir Putin, Richard Aboulafia, ” David Horsey, Joann, Lynda Gorov, it’s, ” Kate Middleton’s, Princess, Wales, Sara Stewart, Kate, that’s, she’ll, Joe Biden, Lawrence Downes, “ Biden, Greg, Abbott, ’, ” Downes, Trump’s, Jared Kushner, Kushner, Donald Trump’s, Aseel Mousa, Drew Sheneman, Max Besbris, ” Besbris, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Thomas, Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘, ” Don’t, Grace Elizabeth Hale, Elizabeth Yuko, Avi Weiss, Jennifer Jones, Jill Filipovic, Christine Blasey Ford Derrick Johnson, Peter Rutland, Holly Thomas, Lily Allen, Mary Ziegler, Lanhee Chen, Steve Garvey, Adam Schiff, Patricia Grisafi, Caitlin Clark Walt Handelsman, Caitlin Clark, Amy Bass, Kamilla Cardoso, UCLA’s Kiki Rice, ’ ” Clark, Bass, Pete ’ Maravich, Court, Serena Williams, Clark, Maravich …, — Organizations: CNN, New, Trump, Agency, Twitter, Save, Maga Inc, Biden, Content Agency Trump, House Republicans, Rep, Ohio GOP, Russia ISIS, ISIS, Boeing, Airbus, Crafts, Boys, BBC Studios, Circuit, Texas Gov, Abbott, of Justice, Texans, Harvard, National Association of Realtors, United Nations, “, University of Iowa, ESPN, Iowa Hawkeyes, NCAA Division Locations: Save America, New York, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, Ohio, Russia, Moscow, Iraq, Syria, Syrian, “, Iran, Afghanistan, ”, Ukrainian, Windsor, ” Texas, Texas, Gaza, Southern, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, Gaza City, Al, Grace Elizabeth Hale : Mississippi, ‘, California

A longtime Democratic stronghold and home to the city of Atlanta, Fulton County will present an uphill challenge for Kramer, a vocal Trump supporter. I’m very passionate about making sure the citizens of Fulton County feel confident in their DA,” he added. He lost the primary to Willis and former District Attorney Paul Howard, whom he later endorsed in a runoff. Asked if he believes that Willis has the support of Fulton County after her testimony, Dickens told CNN: “Yes. In that case, like she’s attempting to do with Trump and his allies, Willis used the racketeering statute as a tool to build a broad conspiracy case.

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump, Christian Wise Smith, Willis, Courtney Kramer, Kramer, Trump, Joe Biden, Nathan Wade, Wise Smith, “, ”, Smith, Paul Howard, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Dickens, Willis ’, it’s, It’s Donald Trump, ” Dickens, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Charlie Bailey, Reginald Jackson, Gerald Griggs, Griggs, “ I’m, ” Willis, Young Thug Organizations: CNN, Fulton, White, Trump, Democratic, DA, Georgia Democrats, Atlanta Mayor, Democrat, City Hall, AME, Georgia NAACP Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Atlanta, of Atlanta

☆ Book Club: Let’s Talk About Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘Demon Copperhead’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Barbara Kingsolver’s novel “Demon Copperhead,” a riff on “David Copperfield” that moves Charles Dickens’s story to contemporary Appalachia and grapples engagingly with topics from poverty to ambition to opioid addiction, was one of the Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2022. And — unlike an actual copperhead — “Demon Copperhead” has legs: Many readers have told us it was their favorite book in 2023 as well. In this week’s spoiler-filled episode, the Book Review’s MJ Franklin talks with his colleagues Elisabeth Egan (also an editor at the Book Review) and Anna Dubenko, The Times’s newsroom audience director, about Kingsolver’s novel and its enduring appeal. We’d love to hear what you loved (or didn’t) about “Demon Copperhead.” Share those thoughts in the comments and we’ll try to weigh in. I read a pre-publication galley, so when I read it, I didn’t have anyone to discuss it with and that almost killed me.

Persons: Barbara Kingsolver’s, “ David Copperfield, Charles Dickens’s, MJ Franklin, Elisabeth Egan, Anna Dubenko, we’ll, … Elisabeth Egan, “ Locations: Appalachia

☆ Remote Employees Are More Likely to Get Laid Off; WFH Is Risky
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Executives at the online furniture retailer Wayfair told its staff in January that remote workers were likelier to be hit in its latest round of job cuts. Add in long-term trends, like the decline in loyalty between employers and employees , and it's no wonder remote workers feel anxious about cuts. “It’s not too surprising,” Peter Cappelli, a management professor at the Wharton School who has never been a big fan of remote work, said. “That is something remote workers should be thinking about as they’re engaging with supervisors,” she said. Remote workers aren’t doomed to the unemployment line, but they may want to try a little extra to get noticed.

Persons: Wayfair, ”, Dell, Goldman Sachs, “ It’s, ” Peter Cappelli, “, Nick Bloom, ” Bloom, Emily Dickens, ” Prithwiraj Choudhury, ” Joseph Fuller, pang, Emily Stewart Organizations: IBM, Reuters, Google, Wharton School, Stanford, Society for Human Resource Management, Harvard Business School, Employers, Workers, “ Workers, Staff, Business

☆ A Lincoln Trove Lands at the Library (Pie Safe Included)
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Jennifer Schuessler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The New York Public Library’s grand research library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street is home to Virginia Woolf’s walking stick, Charles Dickens’s desk chair and the original Winnie-the-Pooh. But one evening last week, a crowd in one of the library’s elegant public rooms was milling around a goofier treasure: an Abraham Lincoln-themed pie safe. The safe — a large cabinet made to store pies, inlaid with decorative punched-tin panels celebrating the president — was probably created for one of his campaigns. It was on view at a memorial for Jonathan Mann, a collector whose trove of rare letters, photographs, banners, ballots, ribbons, campaign songbooks and other sundry bits of Lincolniana is being acquired by the library.

Persons: Charles Dickens’s, Abraham Lincoln, —, Jonathan Mann Organizations: New York Public, Fifth Locations: Virginia

☆ Martin Luther King Jr.’s youngest son Dexter has died at age 62
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Zoe Sottile | Olivia Laborde | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has died, according to statements from his family and the King Center. The third child of Dr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King was married to Leah Weber King since 2013. Please keep the entire King family in your prayers, and in particular Dexter’s wife, Leah Weber.”The Rev. Coretta Scott King (L), widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., passes the Olympic Flame to her son Dexter Scott King on July 19, 1996, in Atlanta. Martin Luther King Jr. poses for a family portrait with his daughter Yolanda Denise King, son Dexter Scott King, his wife Coretta Scott King and son Martin Luther King III at their home in Atlanta in July 1962.

Persons: CNN — Dexter Scott King, Dr, Martin Luther King Jr, Coretta Scott King, Leah Weber King, Weber King, “, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, Leah Weber, ”, Al Sharpton, Dexter King, Yolanda Denise King, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Dexter, “ Dexter, — Morehouse, Michel Gangne, King, ’ ”, cowriting, Rosa Organizations: CNN, King Center, Atlanta Mayor, Civil Rights, Getty, Morehouse College, The King Center for Nonviolent, “, Rosa Parks, Vegetarian Times Locations: Malibu, Atlanta, AFP, Memphis

He also found four poems written by Flora Fairfield, a known pseudonym of Alcott's. As he scrolled through digitized newspapers from the American Antiquarian Society, he found a story titled “The Phantom." I’m interested in gathering more of it.”When first contacted by Chapnick about the writings, Gregory Eiselein, president of the Louisa May Alcott Society, said he was curious but skeptical. This isn't the first time that scholars have found stories written by Alcott under a pseudonym. In the 1940s, Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern found thrillers written under the name A. M. Barnard was an Alcott pseudonym.

Persons: Max Chapnick, Louisa May Alcott, Gould, Charles Dickens, Flora, Alcott's, “, she’s, she’s hustling, ” Chapnick, ” Alcott, ”, — Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy —, Greta Gerwig, Chapnick, Alcott, Gould —, I’m, Gregory Eiselein, I’ve, Louisa Alcott, ” Eiselein, Anne Phillips, “ Alcott, ” There’s, Leona Rostenberg, Madeleine Stern, Barnard, didn’t, We’re, ” Elizabeth Pope, “ We’re Organizations: “, Northeastern University, American Antiquarian Society, “ Little, Boston Public Library, Louisa May Alcott Society, Kansas State University, Kansas State, American Locations: WORCESTER, Massachusetts, Concord , Massachusetts, Flora Fairfield, Worcester, Olive

☆ All of Betty White's movies, ranked by audiences
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Meghan Cook | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

White's lowest-rated film is "The Third Wish" (2005). Jenna Mattison and Betty White in "The Third Wish." Cheshire Smile ProductionsAudience score: 5%Summary: Aspiring writer Maggie Malone (Jenna Mattison) receives three magical wishes from a magical copy of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" that help her believe in love. "This is a really bad movie," wrote one disappointed Rotten Tomatoes user. "There's really not a great deal to recommend."

Persons: Jenna Mattison, Betty White, Maggie Malone, Charles Dickens, White, Rotten Locations: Cheshire

And inadequate child care intensifies other stressors affecting health as well. The cost of child care in this country is already astronomical. The task of finding care can also increase parents’ mental labor load, which can erode psychological health, particularly for mothers. And when one child care center closes or one babysitter cancels, the burden of finding an alternative falls to the parents. Child care precarity — a state of insecure and unreliable child care — has been linked to negative mental health outcomes for mothers for at least six years afterward.

Persons: —, precarity

☆ Walmart Spark shoppers can remove their tips up to 24 hours after delivery. Drivers say that contributes to a problem of 'tip baiting.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Alex Bitter | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

When he works for Walmart's Spark Driver delivery app, it happens a few times a week, he told Business Insider. They traced the problem to a Spark policy giving customers up to 24 hours to reduce or take back their tips. DoorDash's app lets customers only increase a tip or add one — lowering a tip requires calling customer service, a company spokesperson told BI. AdvertisementDrivers can wind up making far less than they expected once the 24 hours is up, a Georgia Spark driver told BI. A Spark driver there told BI his area had too many drivers and that tip baiting wasn't a significant problem.

Persons: —, Dara Khosrowshahi, Spark, Yeji Jesse Lee, it's, Uber, they've, Brock Dickens, they'd, I've Organizations: Service, Business, Google, Walmart, Drivers, BI, Detroit Locations: Indiana, San Francisco, New York City, DoorDash, Carolina, Georgia, Oregon

Search resuls for: "Dickens"

25 mentions found