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☆ These 10 U.S. states are America's least-prepared for climate change and extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Scott Cohn | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

In 2021, Maryland adopted a ten-year Climate Adaptation Resilience Framework aimed at making the state's infrastructure more sustainable by 2030. 2024 Infrastructure Score: 230 out of 425 points (Top States Grade: B) Climate Extremes Index: 62.44% Properties at risk: 100% Renewable Energy: 14% 9. 2024 Infrastructure Score: 235 out of 425 points (Top States Grade: B) Climate Extremes Index: 62.44% Properties at risk: 54% Renewable Energy: 4% 5. 2024 Infrastructure Score: 246 out of 425 points (Top States Score: B+) Climate Extremes Index: 39.82% Properties at risk: 14% Renewable Energy: 5% 4. 2024 Infrastructure Score: 179 out of 425 points (Top States Grade: D+) Climate Extremes Index: 48.6% Properties at risk: 100% Renewable Energy: 6% 1.

Persons: There's, Jeremy Porter, Maria Lehman, Governor Moore, Sarah L, Voisin, Ming Li, Wes Moore, Baltimore's Francis Scott Key, Kevin Dietsch, Danielle Villasana, Joseph Prezioso, Pennsylvania Al Walker, Audrey, Jeff Swensen, Drew Koch, Zbigniew Bzdak, Aaron Wilson, Joe Biden, Lady Jill Biden, Peter Zay, Winter Storm Lorraine, Anibal Martel, Louisiana Farmer Chad Hanks, Justin Sullivan, John Bel Edwards, Jeff Landry, Lokman Organizations: NOAA National Centers for Environmental, First Street Foundation, U.S, Infrastructure, American Society of Civil Engineers, Companies, CNBC, First, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Department of Energy, Maryland, Preparedness, Washington Post, University of Maryland Center, Environmental, Gov, Energy, Delaware Contractors, Army Corp of Engineers, Texas, Lone Star State, Climate Center, Georgetown University, The, New, New Hampshire Workers, AFP, Getty, Environmental Protection Agency, University of New, Pennsylvania, Grow, Keystone, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental, Chicago Tribune, The Buckeye State, Mississippi Residents, Anadolu, Connecticut Municipal, Winter, Constitution, Connecticut Department of Public Health, Louisiana, NOAA, Task Force, Republican Gov Locations: U.S, States, , Maryland, Silver, Maryland, Montgomery, Chesapeake, Bethany Beach , Delaware, Delaware, Houston , Texas, , Texas, The Texas, New Hampshire, Nashua , New Hampshire, University of New Hampshire, Grow Pittsburgh, Braddock , Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Midwest, Ohio, Sandusky, Lake Erie, Erie, Mississippi, Rolling, United States, Connecticut, Hartford Area , Connecticut, Kaplan , Louisiana, Louisiana, Jersey, Lodi , New Jersey

☆ China talks up support for IPOs. Investors are watching the speed of approval
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Mike Segar | ReutersBEIJING — Chinese authorities this week announced new policy for supporting venture capital, raising hopes for faster approvals of initial public offerings in the near future. The new policy included a section on expanding exit channels for venture capital, with an emphasis on supporting companies with technological breakthroughs. Investors, especially those who put U.S. dollars into China-based venture capital funds, have preferred IPOs in the U.S. as the largest and most liquid market. Separately, the U.S. has increased its scrutiny of U.S. capital going into China, especially military-related entities. The China Securities Regulatory Commission has increased fines for misleading investors and clarified requirements for overseas IPOs.

Persons: Mike Segar, Marcia Ellis, Morrison Foerster, Ellis, Winston Ma, Ming Liao, Didi, Morrison Foerster's Ellis, Fang Xinghai, Fang Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, State Council, U.S, Venture, NYU School of Law, Investors, Prospect, CNBC, China Securities Regulatory Commission Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Reuters BEIJING, China, Prospect Avenue, Hong Kong, London

☆ Brushed Gold Becomes the Finish of the Moment
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Ming Liu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Take a back seat, polished gold. Your shiny and reflective surface has been looking a bit too brash recently as the matte, low-key look of brushed gold has been catching everyone’s eye. At the high jewelry presentations in January in Paris, for example, Chaumet used brushed gold to great effect in Un Air de Chaumet, a collection that was an ode to lightness and movement. The Plumes d’or tiara featured a burst of brushed and textured rose gold feathers that alternated with diamond-set white gold ones, the contrast creating a play of light. The tiara could be transformed into a brooch or a head ornament, with an asymmetrically set 2.30-carat pear-shape diamond offering a figurative interpretation of a bird.

Locations: Paris

☆ Hybrid vehicle sales surge in China, posing fresh threat to foreign automakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A Li L7 electric SUV by Li Auto is displayed at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. One-third of total vehicle sales by Toyota, the world's top-selling automaker, are already hybrids and the company reported a 34% surge in hybrid sales in the six months to end-September, outpacing 9% growth in overall revenue. Sales of HEVs in China, which Toyota still dominates with four top-selling models, tumbled 15%, while gasoline car sales dropped 11%, underscoring potential challenges facing foreign automakers. But it was a failed trial, with sales of just over 4,000 units, and GM in 2020 halted sales. BYD is expanding PHEV sales overseas, offering Han, Qin and Song lineups in Latin America, which has less charging infrastructure.

Persons: Li Auto, Aly, Xu Min, Yale Zhang, BYD, Li, Han, Qin, Stellantis, Leapmotor, Xu, Bill Russo, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Miyoung Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Li, Auto, REUTERS, Rights, Toyota, Honda, Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Institute, Intelligent, Reuters, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, HK, Automotive Foresight, Reuters Graphics, Prius, General Motors, Buick, GM, Li Auto, Jiao Tong University, HEVs, Thomson Locations: Auto Shanghai, Shanghai, China, Europe, U.S, outpacing, United States, Shanghai Jiao, Reuters Graphics CHINA, America, Leapmotor, North America

☆ For TikTok, He Asks You to Talk About Your Rolex or Patek
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Ming Liu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He now makes his living as a dealer; his videos are not sponsored by watch brands or industry organizations, but he does benefit from TikTok’s Creator Fund, which pays makers based on criteria such as views and engagement. Mr. Nouveau said he was inspired to join TikTok after seeing the success of men’s fashion influencers. He stayed off camera for his first video, which, in 56 seconds, featured a man talking about his 1968 Rolex Day-Date. But by his third post, Mr. Nouveau decided to go on camera. “Quickly I realized that while the ‘Watch Spotting’ was cool, there was an audience who was curious about collectability.”The age of his followers, he said, also was an eye-opener: “Suddenly, all these kids aged 16 to 30 were asking me, ‘Where do I buy vintage watches?’, ‘How do I find a good dealer?’, ‘My grandfather left me these 12 Patek Philippes — what do I do with them?’ An entire generation of young people, the ones that make up like most of the TikTok audience, were being ignored by the vintage watch community.”(According to the market research firm GWI, TikTok is the fastest growing platform worldwide among Gen Zers — except in China, where the domestic version, called Douyin, takes the crown — even though the oldest Gen Zers top out at 25 years old, and the average age of TikTok’s users is 34.)

Persons: Nouveau, “ Quickly, ‘, Zers —, Zers Locations: China

☆ Chunks of an alien world could be hidden deep within our planet, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This alien planet, Theia, was thought to have completely disappeared in the collision. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs well as shedding new light on the inner workings of our planet, scientists hope they will one day have access to these slabs of alien rock to reveal, once and for all, how our moon formed. The assumption has long been that Theia melded into moon, the Earth's mantle, and its core, in effect disappearing completely. Previous theories have suggested this core-mantle boundary could be made up of bits of ancient ocean floors. The problem is that the core-mantle boundary is very far from the surface — about 1,800 miles.

Persons: Theia, Vincent Eke, Jacob A, haven't, Edward Garnero, Li, Hongping Deng, Everest, Deng, Christian Schroeder Organizations: Service, Arizona State University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Durham University, University of Stirling Locations: Theia, Iceland, Samoa

☆ Earth's mysterious core is weirder than you think, and we're only just beginning to uncover its secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Earth's core has baffled researchers for decades, and it still contains many secrets. AdvertisementAdvertisementA diagram shows the Earth's magnetic field deflecting waves of energy coming from the sun. The strength of Earth's magnetic field in 2020, as measured by the European Space Agency's SWARM satellites. The Earth's inner core may be spinning and might sometimes flip backwardThe core itself is not uniform. A graphic showing how iron crystals may be distributed and moved around the Earth's inner core.

Persons: Andrew Z, Colvin, Lutz Rastaetter, Christopher C, Finlay, al, Edward Garnero, Li, Lindsey Kenyon, Samantha Hansen, Insider's Morgan McFall, Johnsen, Chris Panella, John Vidale, UC Berkeley seismologist Daniel Frost, LiveScience Organizations: Service, NASA, Modeling, NASA Goddard Space, Wikimedia, German Research Center, Geosciences, European Space Agency, Arizona State University, Lindsey, University of Alabama, University of Southern, Washington Post, UC Berkeley Locations: South America, Antarctica, University of Southern California, Banda

☆ The Return of Manual-Wind Watches
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Ming Liu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The lack of a rotor generally allows manual-wind movements — and, ultimately, their exterior cases — to be smaller, which suits the current trend for small watches. Bulgari also played with size in developing its manual-wind BVL 100 Piccolissimo movement, introduced last year. “Our very important clients were saying that they had so many high-jewelry watches but found it was a pity that the tiny batteries soon ran out,” said Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, the brand’s production creation executive director. A mechanical movement is forever.”The Piccolissimo first was used in Bulgari’s high-jewelry Serpenti Misteriosi watches, but this year it made its way into the new Mediterranea high-jewelry collection, presented in Venice in May. Manual-wind movements highlight a watch’s vintage look.

Persons: Patek, Calatrava, Bulgari, ”, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, “, Marino Grande, Panerai Locations: Tokyo, Venice, Geneva, California

☆ Heart-Shape Gems Get Lots of Love
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Ming Liu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

From heart emojis to hands held to form a heart, heart motifs abound at the moment, and the jewelry world has gotten the memo: heart-shape stones seem to be everywhere. The large heart-shape diamond now worn by Lauren Sánchez — reportedly estimated at 25 to 30 carats and the ring that Jeff Bezos used to propose marriage, made headlines recently during the couple’s cruise around the Mediterranean. It had some competition in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where Natalie Portman honored emerging talent at the Trophée Chopard event in a blue Dior gown that matched her Chopard necklace of 25 sapphire hearts, totaling 119.95 carats, with each one trimmed in diamonds. Just days later, Gigi Hadid was photographed on the red carpet in a Messika Toi & Moi ring that juxtaposed two sparkling hearts: a 7.06-carat pink diamond and a 16.18-carat yellow diamond, each accentuated with white diamonds.

Persons: Lauren Sánchez —, Jeff Bezos, Natalie Portman, Gigi Hadid Organizations: Cannes Film

June 19 (Reuters) - Costs of the first phase of construction at American Lithium's (LI.V) Falchani lithium mine in Peru likely have risen some 20% from an original estimate to $700 million, the chief executive of the firm said in an interview. "If you think about the post-COVID world and inflationary pressures, that bill (of $580 million) is probably more like $700 million today," CEO Simon Clarke said. Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer, is vying for a piece of the pie in the booming lithium market. Nearby Chile, Argentina and Bolivia form a so-called "lithium triangle," with massive deposits, but the Canadian-owned Falchani project is currently the only one under way in Peru, where deposits are estimated to be much smaller. If all goes according to plan, construction could begin at Falchani by late 2024 or late 2025, Clarke said, to begin production in late 2026 or early 2027.

Persons: Simon Clarke, Clarke, Kylie Madry, Marco Aquino, Sandra Maler Organizations: Peruvian, Thomson Locations: Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Canadian, Falchani

☆ The Moral Crisis of America’s Doctors
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Eyal Press | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Dean’s essay caught my eye, too, because I spent much of the previous few years reporting on moral injury, interviewing workers in menial occupations whose jobs were ethically compromising. There are, of course, plenty of doctors who like what they do and feel no need to speak out. But more and more doctors are coming to believe that the pandemic merely worsened the strain on a health care system that was already failing because it prioritizes profits over patient care. They are noticing how the emphasis on the bottom line routinely puts them in moral binds, and young doctors in particular are contemplating how to resist. They’re the instruments of betrayal.”Not long ago, I spoke to an emergency physician, whom I’ll call A., about her experience.

Persons: roustabouts, I’d, “, Will, Ming Lin, Lin, Robert McNamara, ” Dean, Jonathan Shay, ”, couldn’t, she’d Organizations: St, Joseph Medical Center, Blackstone Group, Temple University Locations: Bellingham, Wash, Philadelphia, United States

☆ Justice Department files criminal charges in cases of American tech stolen for Russia, China and Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Justice Department announced on Tuesday five criminal cases against people accused of stealing or illegally diverting American technology and materials for the Russian, Chinese and Iranian governments. The man, Xiangjiang Qiao, is at large in China, according to the Justice Department. “These charges demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to preventing sensitive technology from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Russia, China, and Iran,” said Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s national security division. In New York, a Greek national is charged with allegedly acquiring more than 10 different types of sensitive technologies on behalf of the Russian government. The man, Dr. Nikolaos “Nikos” Bogonikolos, was arrested in Paris last week and the US will move for his extradition, the Justice Department said.

☆ Top Apple analyst says iPhone 16 Pro will get an even bigger screen and new periscope camera
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ming-Chi Kuo, a renowned Apple analyst, said in a blog post Tuesday that he predicts that a bigger screen and a periscope camera will be features of the iPhone 16 Pro. Kuo said that the iPhone 16 Pro's display will be "slightly larger" than the screens on the current iPhone 14 Pro and the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro. A periscope camera offers improved zoom capabilities, and Kuo said he expects the iPhone 16 Pro and the even larger iPhone 16 Pro Max to have them. Kuo's comments echo another industry analyst, Ross Young, who said that the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will get bigger screens. When another user guessed that the iPhone 16 Pro would increase from 6.1 to 6.4 inches, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max would increase from 6.7 to 6.9 inches, Young replied "close."

Recent train derailments, including one in a small Ohio town, have prompted officials to examine what is causing the accidents and whether they are happening more frequently. Derailments rank as the most common type of accident involving major freight railroads, federal data shows. Equipment failures are increasingly responsible for derailments, and problems with equipment and train tracks accounted for nearly 60% of derailments nationwide last year.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: CVS, Fortinet, Lumen Technologies, Alphabet & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading Wednesday:Lumen Technologies — Shares fell 22.5% after the cloud network data company reported a fourth-quarter loss of about $3.1 billion. CVS Health — CVS Health gained 4.6% after the company surpassed profit and sales expectations in its latest quarterly results. The New York Times Company — Shares for the media organization popped more than 14% after its fourth-quarter earnings beat analyst estimates. The company reported earnings of 59 cents per share, which was greater than a Refinitiv estimate of 43 cents per share. Fortinet posted earnings of 44 cents per share, while analysts expected 39 cents per share, according to StreetAccount.

☆ Manufacturing orders from China down 40% in unrelenting demand collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

U.S. manufacturing orders in China are down 40 percent, according to the latest CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map data. HLS expects most carriers to extend their West Coast rates until December 14, holding at $1,300-$1,400 per forty-foot equivalent containers (FEU). The 2M Alliance of Maersk and MSC has suspended almost half of its U.S. West Coast services for December. is also impacting Vietnam, which has been booming as a manufacturing hub as more trade moved away from China. Canceled ocean sailings bound for Vietnam are up 50% for December.

☆ He Lifeng: China's expected new economic tsar has big shoes to fill
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Oct 30 (Reuters) - He Lifeng, head of China's state planning agency, is likely to succeed the country's economic tsar Vice Premier Liu He in March, but may struggle to maintain his predecessor's policy clout. That paves the way for He's expected promotion as the 70-year-old Liu is due to step down in March. The departing Liu, Xi's top economic adviser and a childhood friend, holds an unusually powerful portfolio: it covers economic policy, the financial sector and trade ties with Washington, overshadowing the role of outgoing Premier Li Keqiang. Some analysts say part of the expanded role that Liu built up during his time as economic tsar could be taken over by other top officials. "If He Lifeng does indeed get the job, his portfolio will overlap with that of the new Premier, Li Qiang," Julian Evans-Pritchard at Capital Economics said in a note.

☆ China’s ‘Lipstick King’ returns to live-streaming show after mysterious three-month disappearance
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

On Tuesday night, Li Jiaqi reappeared on Alibaba’s Taobao Live, a live-streaming platform for the e-commerce giant. By the end of the two-hour show, 63 million viewers had watched his live-stream, higher than most of his previous shows. The 30-year-old livestreamer, also called Austin Li, was one of China’s biggest internet celebrities, with 64 million followers on Alibaba’s Taobao. Just before the abrupt ending, Li had shown his audience a multi-layered ice cream treat decorated with Oreos and wafers. In June, just two weeks after Li disappeared, Beijing intensified its crackdown on the the country’s booming livestreaming industry.

☆ Tech Layoffs Are Happening Faster Than at Any Time During the Pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2020-03-11 | by ( Andrew Barnett | Ming Li | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Technology-driven companies across industries have been laying off workers at the fastest pace since the Covid-19 pandemic shocked the global economy in 2020, according to one data tracker. Collectively, employers in the slumping tech sector cut more than 150,000 jobs in 2022, based on estimates from Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks the events as they surface in media reports and company releases.

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