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☆ How Tim Walz made Minnesota a 'roadmap' for progressive economic policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-02 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Governor Tim Walz delivers remarks at the Milwaukee Area Labor Council's Laborfest 2024 on September 2nd, 2024 at the Summerfest Grounds, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tim Walz, Minnesota has expanded union protections, approved over $1 billion in housing resources, enacted universal paid family and medical leave, funded free school lunches, hiked corporate taxes and more. "It's a roadmap for sure," Amy Koch, a Republican strategist who formerly served as a Minnesota state senator, told CNBC. Already, several of the economic priorities of the Harris campaign mirror policies that were championed by Walz in Minnesota. Tim Walz listens to homeless constituents after being elected to his first term in 2018.

Persons: Tim Walz, Sara Stathas, Harris, Walz, I've, Bernie Burnham, Kamala Harris, Amy Koch, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, Gabby Giffords, Brian Snyder, Jeff Hayden, Hayden, Elianne Farhat, Mills, Bauer, Griffin, Doug Loon, Loon, Burnham, Charles Lutvak, Monica Nilsson Organizations: Milwaukee Area Labor, Washington Post, North Star State, Minnesota AFL, CNBC, Democratic Gov, Republican, Democratic, Minnesota, Reuters, Child Tax, Farmer, Labor, DFL, Senate, House, Minnesota Democrats, Fortune, Target, AaronP, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Gov, Minnesota Housing Locations: Milwaukee , Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tim Walz , Minnesota, Minnesota . U.S, U.S, America, Minnesota's, Minneapolis , Minnesota, UnitedHealth

☆ Inside the tax battles Tim Walz fought — and won — in Minnesota
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Kevin Mohatt | ReutersSix years before Tim Walz was tapped to be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, he was busy running for governor of Minnesota. Eric Gibson, then president of Ultra Machining Company, recalled asking Walz whether the Democrat believed that high corporate and state taxes hurt workers. Minnesota currently taxes corporate income at 9.8%. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation says that's the highest corporate tax rate of any state in the nation. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks next to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers at Yellowjacket Union, at University of Wisconsin-Superior, in Superior, Wisconsin, U.S. March 2, 2022.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, Kevin Mohatt, Walz, Eric Gibson, Gibson, Geoff Baker, Baker, Douglas Loon, Kamala, Andrew Harnik, wasn't, Harris, Tony Evers, Evelyn Hockstein, Loon, Minn, Bill George, George said Walz, George Organizations: Democratic, Minnesota, Chippewa, Reuters, Ultra, Democrat, CNBC, McFarland Truck Lines, Foundation, Democrats, Senate, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Fortune, UnitedHealth, U.S, Gov, Getty, Minnesotans, Tax, Yellowjacket Union, University of Wisconsin, Mayo Clinic Locations: Eau Claire , Wisconsin, U.S, Minnesota, Gull Lake, McFarland Truck Lines . Minnesota, Gull, Glendale , Arizona, Wisconsin, Superior, Superior , Wisconsin, St, Paul, Rochester, Minn

☆ Inside the life and career of Larry Page, Google's co-founder and first CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Avery Hartmans | Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

AdvertisementSo who is Larry Page and how did he get to where he is today? AdvertisementPage and Sergey Brin create GoogleGoogle co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page met as students at Stanford. Google's parent company, Alphabet, has developed self-driving cars through Waymo, the company formerly known as the Google Self-Driving Car project. Page's personal lifeGoogle cofounder Larry Page and his wife, the scientist Lucinda Southworth C Flanigan/FilmMagicThroughout it all, Page has kept information about his personal life closely guarded. Life after GoogleGoogle cofounder Larry Page bought Cayo Norte, an island in Puerto Rico.

Persons: —, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Page, Sundar Pichai, Gloria, Carl Page —, Larry, what's, Nikola Tesla, he's, Brin's, BackRub, Brin, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt, Andy Rubin's, he'd, Andrew Kelly, Sergey, Lucinda Southworth C, Lucinda Southworth, Richard Branson, Page's, Carl Victor Page, Carl Page, He's, Hugh Langley Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Michigan State University . Education, Getty, Michigan State University, The, Montessori, Google Google, Stanford, Associated Press, University of Michigan, Labs, Reuters Page, Virgin Group, Investments, Carl Victor Page Memorial Foundation, Zee Aero, Pacific, Virgin Island, Atomic Locations: Michigan, Waymo, Toronto, Stanford, Caribbean, Palo Alto, Cayo Norte, Puerto Rico, Koop, Tavarua, Fiji

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A visit from a rare, fine-feathered tourist has interrupted one of Las Vegas’ prominent shows. Initially, the Bellagio's fountain shows were paused while officials figured out how to proceed, an MGM Resorts International spokesperson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Wildlife officials determined that the bird wasn't bothered and the show was cleared Tuesday to resume, but a spokesperson later said the shows would remain on hold. The Associated Press sent an email Wednesday seeking updated information from an MGM spokesperson, including when the shows might resume. The bird likely sought shelter from a storm, Nielsen said, noting that it isn’t uncommon for migratory birds to visit the valley.

Persons: birders, Doug Nielsen, Nielsen, We’re, Gee, I’m Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Bellagio, Vegas, National Park Service, MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas, . Wildlife, Associated Press, MGM, Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Locations: Las Vegas, U.S, Nevada

☆ Why scientists are killing millions of Chinese mitten crabs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Named after the dense mats of hair on their front claws, Chinese mitten crabs are intimidating creatures. Scientists across the continent are looking for ways to reduce the mitten crab population, and in doing so protect the native ecosystems being destroyed by the invasive species. Schoelynck says that scientists in Europe have reported crabs that are a hybrid of both the Chinese and Japanese species of mitten crabs. While mitten crabs are a seasonal delicacy in China, Schoelynck says that they have little meat and therefore aren’t popular in the European market. However, the crabs collected in one of the Belgium traps go to a local zoo to be used as animal feed, he says.

Persons: CNN —, It’s, “ Clancy, ”, Jonas Schoelynck, Van Loon, Schoelynck, Björn Suckow, Alfred Wegener, Clancy, Heleen, Suckow Organizations: CNN, University of Antwerp, Flanders Environment Agency, EU, Alfred, Alfred Wegener Institute Locations: Europe, Bremen, Germany, Asia, Flanders, Belgium, France, Sweden, It’s, Lier, Belgian, China

SINGAPORE (AP) — Prince William arrived Sunday in Singapore for the Earthshot Prize awards, the first to be held in Asia, to support environmental innovators with solutions to battle climate change and save the planet. William, 41, shook hands, signed autographs and sportingly took selfies with many of them during a walkabout. “It’s fantastic to be back in Singapore for this year’s Earthshot Prize ceremony, after eleven years," he said in a statement upon landing. That inspired the prince and his partners to set a similar goal for finding solutions to pressing environmental problems by 2030. William, a keen sportsman, will also try his hand at dragon boating, a popular sport in Singapore and many parts of the world.

Persons: — Prince William, William, sportingly, Johanes Mario, Catherine, Hannah Waddingham, Robert Irwin, Oscar, Cate Blanchett, Lana Condor, Nomzamo, John F, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Lee Hsien Loon, Robert Irwin's Organizations: SINGAPORE, Sunday, Changi, Royal Foundation, Boston, Singapore’s, Singapore, United, Wildlife Locations: Singapore, Asia, Wildlife, London, William, Kensington, Southeast Asia

☆ Premiums for family health insurance at work jump to nearly $24,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Workers and their employers are paying a lot more for job-based health insurance this year. The annual cost of family health insurance coverage at work soared to an average of nearly $24,000 this year, according to KFF’s Employer Health Benefits Survey, released Wednesday. The tight job market has prompted companies to avoid watering down their health insurance coverage since it can be a recruiting and retention tool. Nearly a quarter of companies said they will increase employees’ premium contributions in the next two years, KFF found. Some 7% of large employers -— and 19% of companies with at least 5,000 workers — provide or plan to provide such reimbursement.

Persons: There’s, ”, Matthew Rae, Deductibles, KFF, Rae, Still, Bindery, Steve Van Loon, Van Loon, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN — Workers, Survey, Employees, Workers, “ Employers, KDC Locations: New York, Tempe , Arizona

Seven years in, Country Garden has invested 20 billion ringgit ($4.3 billion) in the project, Forest City said, a far cry from the initial $100 billion plan. "Seeing is believing," Forest City said in an email response. "The land plot itself is valuable," a Singapore-based bondholder of Country Garden said, while highlighting the complications of dealing with a local government joint-venture. Last month, Malaysia's central bank said local banks had limited exposure to Country Garden amid concern about its financial stress. Anwar, Malaysia's prime minister, has designated Forest City a "special financial zone" to attract investment, which Forest City said would help with its marketing.

Persons: Foo Gee Jen, Anwar Ibrahim, Anwar, Malaysia's, Yang Ming Han, Loh, Loh Wee Loon, I'm, Xinghui Kok, Xie Yu, Anne Marie Roantree, Lincoln Organizations: ISKANDAR PUTERI, Garden, Forest, Malaysian, Reuters, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, ISKANDAR, Malaysia, Garden's, City, Johor, Singapore, Forest City, Malaysian, Forest, Loh Wee, China, Johor Sultan, Iskandar Puteri, Kuala Lumpur, Yantoultra, Hong Kong

☆ Portable cell sites arrive in Maui to bring internet to residents and tourists
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Many cell towers have backup power generators but they have limited capacity to keep towers running. Cell service is down. Why cell phone service went downAlthough strong winds can sometimes threaten cell towers, most are strong enough to handle the worst that even a Category 5 hurricane can bring. “When the fires get too close to cell sites, they will obviously burn equipment, antennas, and feedlines,” said Glenn O’Donnell, VP of research at market research firm Forrester. Cell towers have backup technology built in, but this is typically done through optical fiber cables or microwave (wireless) links, according to Dimitris Mavrakis, senior researcher at ABI Research.

Persons: “, Gov, Sylvia Luke, ”, Glenn O’Donnell, Forrester, O’Donnell, Dimitris Mavrakis, ” Mavrakis, Hurricane Maria Organizations: New, New York CNN, Verizon, CNN, Maui Verizon, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Emergency, Center, Cells, Mobile, Wireless, ABI Research, Google Locations: New York, Maui, Maalaea, Lahaina, Northern, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Hurricane

☆ Why cell phone service is down in Maui — and when it could be restored
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Cell service is down. Although strong winds can sometimes threaten cell towers, most are strong enough to handle the worst that even a Category 5 hurricane can bring. The smoke and flames can also attenuate signals because of the particulate density in the air.”If a tower collapses, cell networks could take months to restore. This means satellite phones, which often feature large antennas, can help provide voice, SMS, and data services anywhere on Earth, even without cell service. Although it’s unclear how long cell phone service could be down in affected regions, companies have been able to bring connectivity to disaster regions in the past.

Persons: Gov, Sylvia Luke, ”, Glenn O’Donnell, Forrester, “, O’Donnell, Dimitris Mavrakis, ” Mavrakis, Apple, Hurricane Maria, Hawaii’s Organizations: CNN, Wireless, ABI Research, Mobile, Emergency Management Team, FEMA, Verizon, Motorola, Huawei, Apple Watch, Google Locations: Maui, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Hurricane

☆ Listen to This American Life: House on Loon Lake
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( New York Times Audio | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The New York Times Audio app is home to journalism and storytelling and provides news, depth and serendipity. If you haven’t already, download the app here and sign up for our weekly newsletter. Our new audio app includes “This American Life,” the award-winning program hosted by Ira Glass. The app includes a “Best of ‘This American Life’” section with some of our favorite bite-size clips, so you can enjoy the show even if you don’t have a lot of time. Image Credit... Adam Beckman/This American LifeOn This Week’s Episode:The true story of an abandoned house, discovered by a young boy in the 1970s, and the mysterious family who disappeared without a trace.

Persons: Ira Glass, Adam Beckman Organizations: New York Times Locations: Freedom

REUTERS/Nathan FrandinoMOUNTAIN VIEW, California, June 26 (Reuters) - Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) has already tried and failed to bring internet access to rural and remote areas by using high-altitude balloons in the stratosphere. But now, the company is delivering internet service to remote areas by using beams of light. It was initiated in 2016 after attempts at using stratospheric balloons to deliver internet ran into problems due to high costs, company executives said. Taara executives and Bharti Airtel (BRTI.NS), one of India's largest telecommunications and internet providers, told Reuters they are now moving toward larger-scale deployment of the new laser internet technology in India. Bharti Airtel's chief technology officer, Randeep Sekhon, said Taara will also help deliver faster internet service in urban areas in developed countries.

Persons: Nathan, Mahesh Krishnaswamy, Taara, Krishnaswamy, Astro Teller, moonshots, Teller, Bharti, Randeep Sekhon, Jane Lanhee Lee, Nathan Frandino, Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Bharti Airtel, Reuters, Econet Group, Liquid Telecom, Bluetown, Digicel, Airtel, Sciences, Bharti Airtel's, Google, Thomson Locations: Alphabet's, View , California, U.S, California, India, Australia, Kenya, Fiji, Africa, Pacific, Osur, Chennai, Mountain View

☆ CEO and Google X co-founder: 'Mission doesn't come so easily'—how she found hers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It's taken decades to connect the dots between her mission and the best way to implement it on the ground. Here's how she went from tennis player to Google X co-founder to entrepreneur. 'Do you want to help start this new unit called Google X?' In 2009, "I basically got a call saying, 'Hey, do you want to help start this new unit called Google X?'" "I wanted to build a combination of hardware, software and people to build the solutions to help everyday people," she says.

☆ Inside the 'doomsday' layoffs at Goldman Sachs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Matt Turner | Dave Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Insider reporters were in attendance — here's the inside scoop …If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Now, on to this week's top stories …David Solomon is the CEO of Goldman Sachs. Michael Kovac/Getty ImagesGoldman Sachs conducted its worst layoffs in over a decade this week. One laid-off associate called it the "doomsday," adding: "Every 10 minutes, I just kept hearing that someone was being let go." We talked to Goldman Sachs employees who were fired — here's what they told us.

☆ Google's most cutting-edge moonshot lab is refocusing on actually making money
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Matt Weinberger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I'm Matt Weinberger, deputy editor of Insider's tech analysis team, filling in for my colleague Diamond Naga Siu for the next few days. It's yet another sign that the tech industry is very different than it was even a year ago. A moonshot in the foot for Google: Insider's Hugh Langley reports that Google's X Development is scaling back from its pioneering, famously envelope-pushing roots as a tech research lab. Instead, it'll focus on initiatives that actually make money for Google and its parent company Alphabet. Read Insider's in-depth review of the newest model of the iPad Pro, released in late 2022.

☆ Google's moonshot factory is coming down to Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The project, known internally by its codename, "Valkyrie," was the typical science-fiction-sounding idea that Google's self-described "moonshot factory" was designed to dream up. But amid a lack of successful launches and a tech industry facing economic headwinds, insiders say the lab is now hitting the hard-reset button and rethinking its purpose within Alphabet, Google's parent company. X swapped standard corporate titles like "Communications Lead" and "Manager" for grander and more-nebulous names like "Factory Whisperer" and "Firestarter." Its internet-balloon unit, Google Loon, meant to bring people in rural areas online, was shuttered in January 2021. "I think the infusion of VC people is a good thing," one former senior X employee said.

☆ 12 Netflix hacks, tips, and tricks to get the most out of your subscription and customize your viewing experience
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( William Antonelli | Tech Reporter For Insider Reviews | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

There are many Netflix hacks, tips, and tricks you can use to improve your viewing experience. But did you know that you can watch Netflix, even without an internet connection? Shayanne Gal/Business InsiderIf you're watching Netflix on your Mac or PC, you don't need to use your mouse to control everything. Each Netflix profile has an "HD Toggle," which lets you select what video quality Netflix should stream in by default. You can pick from Low, Medium, or High, or Auto, which will give you whatever video quality Netflix feels your internet can handle.

☆ The era of the Big Tech moonshot is over
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Each of these ideas is a "moonshot," or a radical, potentially world-changing project that Big Tech companies have worked on in recent years. Is the era of Big Tech moonshots over? For years, companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook dumped money and energy into radical, potentially world-changing projects. But recently, Big Tech firms have been scaling back their ambitions — and have instead turned to a Wall Street-appeasing pragmatism. It comes after Amazon workers of all types have been pushing for higher pay for years.

☆ The era of Big Tech moonshots is over. Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are pulling back on ambitious, risky long-term projects after many of them failed.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Hugh Langley | Eugene Kim | Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have scaled back their ambitious "moonshot" projects. Moonshots like Google X and Amazon Grand Challenge allowed tech firms to build innovative projects. Before Amazon, Parviz led a similar team at Google called Google X. Page and Brin championed X projects they loved, helping them gain funding and headcount within the unit. Parviz, who created the once-hyped-up Google Glass, left Google X in 2014 to start Amazon's Grand Challenge.

☆ A $30 million Instagram-famous superyacht in the Caribbean has installed Elon Musk's Starlink internet
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-06 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The captain told Teslarati that Starlink was a game-changer, but didn't work when crossing the Atlantic. "We've thrown everything we can at it, and it hasn't missed a beat," Clarke told Insider. When Loon crossed the Atlantic Ocean, Starlink didn't work, Clarke told Teslarati. Motor yacht Loon Motor Yacht LoonClarke plans to test Starlink when Loon crosses the Atlantic again in May next year, he told Teslarati. Clarke told Teslarati the yacht was worth $30 million.

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