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☆ The No. 1 skill companies are hiring for is also the hardest to find, according to new research
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"A strong work ethic" is the top skill companies are looking for in new hires, but is one of the hardest to find, according to new research from ADP. As part of its research, ADP surveyed more than 1,500 business owners, senior leaders and hiring managers about their hiring plans and priorities in 2024. Even as conversations about the importance of technical upskilling reach a fever pitch, soft skills emerged as the clear winner. "A strong work ethic" is a nebulous term. As artificial intelligence integrates more into the workforce, soft skills, or people skills, are invaluable assets to professionals, the report notes.

Persons: Tina Wang, Upskilling, Wang, Bert Bean Organizations: ADP, CNBC, Insight, Testing, LinkedIn

RobinhoodI decided to ask a few of my friends what investing platform they use. Since my cash is already sitting in savings accounts and CDs through the bank, I decided to check out its self-directed investing platform, Ally Invest. I decided on Ally InvestAfter spending some time testing out each platform, I decided that Ally Invest was perfect for my current needs. It allowed me to easily transfer money between my other accounts with the bank into my investment account. Plus, I was able to diversify my portfolio by investing in different securities, from mutual funds to ETFs.

Persons: Charles Schwab, Robinhood, Ally, Invest Organizations: Ally, Invest

☆ I got a dangerous surgery at 16 to stop excessive facial blushing, and it ruined my life. Decades later, I can't feel emotions.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Gary Nunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

At 16, he got an endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy to correct his excessive facial blushing. He's now 40 and still suffering the side effects from the surgery; he can't feel emotions. I couldn't do the things I wanted to do: feel comfortable approaching a girl, speak in front of the class, do drama. AdvertisementThe surgery is most often sought to mitigate excessive sweating (usually of the palms), but sometimes it's used for facial blushing. The side effects have lasted decadesThe surgery took less than an hour, and it has changed my whole life.

Persons: He's, —, John Larsen, it'd, wasn't, I'd, It'd, There's, who've, It's, I'm, I've Organizations: Service, ETS

☆ How much you should tip your Uber and Lyft driver, according to drivers and etiquette experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some Uber and Lyft drivers have complained about poor customer tipping recently. We asked drivers and etiquette experts how much Americans should be tipping for Uber and Lyft rides . AdvertisementAdvertisementRegardless of whether you're tired of tipping or trying to save money, four etiquette experts and drivers told Insider that it shouldn't stop you from tipping your Uber and Lyft driver. "As long as we're not guaranteed a living wage, I think the ethical thing is to tip drivers." AdvertisementAdvertisementJeff Hoenig, a 63-year-old part-time Uber driver in South Carolina, told Insider that roughly half of his customers left a tip last year.

Persons: Uber, —, it's, Lyft, Thomas Farley, Mister Manners, Gabe Ets, Jeff Hoenig Jeff Hoenig Nick Leighton, Farley, Jeff Hoenig, Hoenig Organizations: Service, Ets Locations: New York, Oakland , California, South Carolina

☆ How much do Uber and Lyft drivers really make? It varies wildly depending on tips, car expenses, and how they calculate profits.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

First, the ride-hailing pay calculations used by researchers, drivers, and companies can vary considerably — some don't fully account for the expenses and hours that impact a driver's profits. Second, drivers' pay can fluctuate based on how often they drive, their vehicle's expenses, and how well their customers tip. Aaron Lavender, a 36-year-old full-time Uber and Lyft driver in Colorado, previously told Insider that tips make up 10% to 20% of his income. AdvertisementAdvertisementMinimum wage laws could help clarify drivers' payThe uncertainty of drivers' pay doesn't seem to have stopped Americans from giving ride-hailing gigs a shot. The number of Uber drivers hit a record-high 5 million in 2022, with more than 70% of new drivers citing inflation as a reason they joined the platform, the company reported.

Persons: Uber, —, Lyft, Jeff Hoenig Jeff Hoenig Uber, Gabe Ets, Jeff Hoenig, Smith, Wesley Johnson, Aaron Lavender Aaron Lavender, Dallas Uber, Aaron Lavender, Nathaniel Hudson, Hartman, he's Organizations: Service, Drivers, Demand, Tesla Motors Locations: Oakland , California, South Carolina, Silicon, Mountain View , California, San Francisco, Dallas, Colorado, Portland, New York City, Seattle, California

☆ 'No question' that the decarbonization of shipping will contribute to inflation, says industry CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The cost of decarbonizing the shipping industry will have a knock-on effect on consumers, according to a CEO in the maritime industry. "There will be an inflationary impact coming from [the] decarbonization of shipping … there is no question of it," Bertrand Chen, CEO of the Global Shipping Business Network, told CNBC's East Tech West conference in the Nansha district of Guangzhou, China. New European rules that effectively tax shipping lines for their emissions would push up costs, Chen added. The European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS) is set to be extended to the shipping industry starting in January 2024, meaning that large ships entering EU ports will be charged for their carbon dioxide emissions. Chen described the EU initiative as "a natural action that will lead to some interesting effects."

Persons: Bertrand Chen, Chen Organizations: Global Shipping Business Network, CNBC's East Tech West, EU, ETS Locations: Nansha, Guangzhou, China, New

☆ 4 Uber and Lyft drivers calculated how much they made after expenses. It ranged from $22 to $40 an hour, and an EV, tips, and tax incentives can make a big difference.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

That's not the case for many gig workers, such as Uber and Lyft drivers. But the companies' figures don't account for drivers' vehicle expenses, which take a cut out of their profits. Last year, he earned roughly $12,000 in combined income driving for Uber and Lyft before vehicle expenses, according to both apps' dashboards. Including his Lyft income, he calculated that he earned roughly $27 an hour in 2022 before vehicle expenses. Last year, he earned about $34,000 driving for Uber and Lyft before vehicle expenses, according to his app information.

Persons: That's, Sergio Avedian, Uber, Guy, Lyft, EVs —, Nathaniel Hudson, Hartman, he'd, Bolt, Jeff Hoenig, Gabe Ets, he's, Hokin Organizations: EV, Service, Hudson, Ets Locations: Wall, Silicon, Los Angeles, The Portland , Oregon, Hudson, Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, Oakland , California, San Diego

☆ Meet Khan Academy's AI tutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Nadia Bidarian | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

More than 8,000 teachers and students will test education nonprofit Khan Academy’s artificial intelligence tutor in the classroom this upcoming school year, toying with its interactive features and funneling feedback to Khan Academy if the AI botches an answer. A conversation between CNN's Nadia Bidarian and Khanmigo, Khan Academy's AI chatbot tutor. Khan Lab School is a separate nonprofit founded by Khan Academy CEO Sal Khan. Khan Academy’s in-the-works AI learning course “AI 101 for Teachers,” created in partnership with Code.org, ETS and the International Society for Technology in Education, offers a path toward AI literacy among teachers. Imperfect, but improvingAn AI “tutor” like Khanmigo is not immune to the flubs all large language models face: so-called hallucinations.

Persons: —, Khanmigo, George Washington, Cleopatra, Martin Luther King Jr, CNN's Nadia Bidarian, Khan, Kristen DiCerbo, she’s, DiCerbo, “, Oz, ” DiCerbo, “ We’re, Albert Einstein, Einstein, Socrates, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer, ”, Thomas Jefferson, Khanmigo’s Thomas Jefferson, GPT, Leo Lin, Sal Khan, they’ve, Khan Academy’s, ” Ernest Davis, Davis, it’s, ” Davis, Rama Ramakrishnan, ChatGPT, ” Ramakrishnan, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Khan Academy, Khan, American, Khan Lab, . New York City Public Schools, Seattle Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, EdWeek Research, Code.org, ETS, International Society for Technology, NYU, MIT Locations: Arizona, Independence, California, . New York, Education, United States

Britain exported more than 2.5 million tonnes of steel to Europe last year, UK Steel said. That trade would face the CO2 levy, unless Britain matched the EU's carbon pricing policies or linked its carbon market to the bloc's. Without a market link, Energy Aspects expects UK carbon prices to trade below EU CO2 prices until the late 2020s - exposing UK firms to the EU's border levy. In 2026, when the EU carbon border levy will kick in, Energy Aspects expects the UK CO2 price to be around 55 pounds (63.71 euros), versus an expected EU CO2 price of 108 euros. The UK government ran a publish consultation earlier this year on policies to support British industries as they decarbonise, including a possible UK carbon border levy.

Persons: Frank Aaskov, Benjamin Lee, Susanna Twidale, Kate Abnett, Sharon Singleton Organizations: European Union, ETS, Steel, Energy, UK, Britain's Department for Energy Security, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, London, Britain, Europe

☆ Robin Hood tariff could curb airline emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nevertheless, aircraft are responsible for about 4% of global warming from carbon emissions and the vapour trails they leave behind in the sky. A more viable short-term option is to run planes on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The third option is to tax either the kerosene that airlines burn or the emissions they spew out into the atmosphere. So far only the EU, United Kingdom and some smaller countries are doing this via emissions trading schemes (ETS). To work, the plan would need to channel Robin Hood, the legendary English outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Robin Hood, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Aviation, Reuters Graphics Reuters, SAF, European Union, EU, Transport, FLYERS, International Civil Aviation Organisation, United Nations, ICAO, ETS, Airlines, Council, Clean Transportation, Thomson Locations: TINOS, GREECE, Europe, America, China, Greece, United Kingdom, United States

☆ Column: Europe's clashes over coal may extend well beyond Poland
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, while Poland may be Europe's most coal-dependent economy with roughly 70% of electricity coming from coal, it is far from being Europe's only economy with a vested interest in extending the life of its power plants. HEAVY USERSGermany has the highest number of coal plants in Europe, with 53 facilities listed as participating in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), data from Ember shows. Poland is also home to the Belchatow Power Station, which is by far Europe's largest thermal coal plant, which alone spewed out over 35 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022. Czechia, formerly the Czech Republic, has 19 coal-fired plants in the EU ETS which emitted a collective 34 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022. Share of electricity from coal in select European countriesBulgaria, which depended on coal for 42% of electricity last year, has five plants in the EU ETS which emitted 23.8 million tonnes last year.

Persons: Ember, Belchatow, Gavin Maguire, Sonali Paul Organizations: Union, European Union, EU, Trading, ETS, EU ETS, World Bank, Belchatow, Southern, Global Energy Monitor, Western, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LITTLETON , Colorado, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Czechia, Greece, Europe, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Italy

☆ An ETF focused on the 'moats' strategy of Warren Buffett is beating the market once again
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Jesse Pound | In Jesse-Pound | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An exchange traded fund built on an investing strategy popularized by Warren Buffett is proving its worth once again in 2023. The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) has a total return of more than 23% year to date, according to FactSet, handily beating the S & P 500 and enhancing an already stellar long-term track record. MOAT 5Y mountain The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF has been a long-term outperformer. The Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) and iShares Core S & P 500 ETF (IVV) were the top two funds of the week, each bringing in more than $2 billion. Several large short-term bond funds saw outflows this week, including Vanguard Short-Term Bond ETF (BSV) .

Persons: Warren Buffett, FactSet, Brandon Rakszawski, Rakszawski, It's Organizations: Morningstar, Adobe, Bond, Federal Locations: VanEck, outflows

☆ Column: Europe raises green energy climate hurdles with red tape revamp: Maguire
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

EMISSIONS TRADING TWEAKSThe European Union's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is the region's main device for managing emissions by providing financial incentives to cut pollution while penalising high emitters. This is designed to prevent companies moving heavy polluting parts of their supply chain to areas outside of the EU ETS catchment area, and ensure that companies cannot merely outsource the dirtiest parts of the production phase elsewhere. However, this new mechanism runs the risk of eroding the cost competitiveness of hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as steel and chemicals producers. The key now for Europe's lawmakers is to ensure that many of these new hurdles can still be cleared by key industries without undermining the economic competitiveness of the entire region. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ EU Parliament backs overhaul of Europe's biggest climate policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Europe's carbon market forces power plants and factories to buy CO2 permits when they pollute. It has slashed those sectors' emissions by 43% since 2005, but is facing a revamp to hit more ambitious EU climate change targets. Under the upgrade, factories will lose the free CO2 permits they currently receive by 2034, and shipping emissions will be added to the CO2 market from 2024. EU carbon permits were trading at around 94 euros per tonne on Tuesday, having nearly quadrupled in value since the start of 2020. Lawmakers also backed plans to launch a new EU carbon market covering emissions from fuels used in cars and buildings in 2027, plus a 86.7 billion-euro EU fund to support consumers affected by the costs.

LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - Emissions regulated under the European Union's carbon market from power and industrial sectors fell by 1.2-1.6% last year, preliminary data in the European Union Transaction Log database examined by analysts showed on Monday. Analysts at Refinitiv and ICIS said stationary emissions covered by the scheme, such as power plants and factories, totalled 1.316-1.320 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2022, down 1.2-1.6% from the previous year. While power sector emissions increased, that was offset by a decline in industrial emissions. There were also problems with French nuclear power output, requiring more power generation from fossil fuels to fill the gap. Some 93% of all installations covered by the ETS have reported their emissions so the data is incomplete.

TOKYO, March 31 (Reuters) - Japan, the world's fifth-biggest carbon dioxide (CO2) emitter, will begin a carbon pricing scheme in stages from April to encourage companies to curb emissions and achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The country is the latest among Asian nations to formulate plans to create a carbon pricing mechanism and emissions trading system. The scheme, based on METI proposals and approved by the cabinet this year, consists of emissions trading and a carbon levy. The carbon levy will be introduced from around 2028/29 on fossil fuel importers such as refiners, trading houses and electricity utilities. The introduction of emissions trading and carbon surcharges mark "a significant shift in Japan's climate change policy", said Tohru Shimizu, senior researcher at the Japan's Institute of Energy Economics.

☆ Factbox: Asia's carbon pricing and emission trading systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Matthew Chye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is a look at some of the carbon emissions trading systems (ETS) and pricing mechanisms in Asian countries aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net zero targets. * A carbon levy will be introduced from around 2028/29 on fossil fuel importers such as refiners, trading houses and electricity utilities. INDIA* Parliament in December passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2022 that sought to establish carbon trading. * Authorities are studying the implementation of a carbon exchange and plan to set up agencies to monitor and verify emission volume. MALAYSIA* The stock exchange launched a voluntary carbon market (VCM) in December with the introduction of the Bursa Carbon Exchange, the world's first Shariah-compliant carbon exchange.

☆ Enterprise Tech Firms Push Further Into Generative AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Angus Loten | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

Generative AI, the technology underlying the viral ChatGPT chatbot, runs on algorithmic language models trained on vast amounts of online data. “We think 2023 will be the year that generative AI will become prevalent and a key component of modern office work,” he said. On Tuesday, the company launched a $250 million investing fund targeting generative AI startups. Yet despite assurances from the enterprise market’s biggest players, most corporate tech chiefs are taking a wait-and-see approach to ChatGPT-like generative AI technology, analysts said. Steve Santana, chief information officer at educational-testing company ETS, said he is more open to working with large enterprise-technology firms on generative AI capabilities, rather than small niche providers.

☆ Italy seeks 6 billion euros from REPowerEU plan, more time to spend COVID funds -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Giuseppe Fonte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aimed at ending the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels and tackling the climate crisis, REPowerEU is funded through some 225 billion euros of untapped loans made available under the EU recovery plan launched in 2021. Italy believes it can get at least 2.7 billion euros from the ETS resources and 3 billion euros from the cohesion funds, one of the sources said. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration plans to complete talks with Brussels on Rome's proposed use of the EU funds by the end of April. Italy is behind schedule in actually using the recovery funds. Its initial timetable envisaged spending more than 40 billion euros' worth by 2022 but this estimate was revised downwards several times and in December was set below 20 billion euros.

The more emitters have to pay for EU carbon permits to cover each tonne of C02 they produce, the greater the incentive to invest in low carbon technologies and switch to less polluting fuels. Still, rising carbon prices are a cause of political tensions in the EU and breaching the 100 euro threshold is likely to reignite debates over prices. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez last year called for a CO2 price cap to help tackle soaring inflation. Other EU countries view a robust carbon price as vital to meeting climate goals. Years of weak prices followed until CO2 prices began to recover in 2018 when the EU agreed to remove surplus permits from the market.

Benchmark EU carbon permit prices hit 100 euros per tonne of CO2 on Tuesday, the highest since the scheme launched in 2005. The largest project being developed in the Netherlands secured national funding to bridge the gap between costs and the CO2 price. The United States does not have a nationwide carbon price, although states including California do. An EU carbon price of 100 euros adds 30-40 euros to the cost of a tonne of primary steel production, according to Eurofer. For example, blast furnace-based steelmakers were given around 80% of their CO2 permits, commodity industry analysis firm CRU said.

An ETS sets a cap on the amount of CO2 emissions that a sector, or group of sectors, can produce. The system creates CO2 permits, called EU Allowances (EUAs) for those emissions, which companies must buy for each tonne of CO2 they emit. CO2 permits are traded on the open market, meaning companies, traders and investors buying them pay the same price. Critics say by making it cheaper to pollute, free permits have reduced the incentive for industries to reduce their emissions. Companies that already pay CO2 costs in the country where the goods were produced can be exempted from the EU levy.

☆ EU carbon price hits record high nearing 100 euros/tonne
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Susanna Twidale | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The benchmark European carbon contract hit a record high approaching 100 euros a tonne on Monday, with cooler weather forecasts and expectations of lower wind power output driving up demand. The benchmark EU Allowance (EUA) December 2023 contract closed at 98.30 euros a tonne, up 2.1% since Friday's close and having earlier touched a record high of 99.99 euros tonne. “Temperatures in Northern Europe are actually now forecasted to go below seasonal averages next week, which might instigate utilities to increase their hedging activities,” said Gregory Idil, a senior carbon emissions trader at Vertis. The benchmark contract has risen almost 20% since the beginning of the year, partly on expectations that Europe's economies could start to improve as energy prices fall from record highs. Although the carbon contract failed to break the 100 euro mark on Monday, traders and analysts said this level could soon be breached.

☆ Monday's rally raises the stakes ahead of inflation data release — listen to the 'Homestretch'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

I WOULD SAY IT DOES RAISE THESTAKES A LITTLE BIT SO TO SPEAKAHEAD OF CPI TOMORROW JUST INTERMS OF WE HAVE TO GET A GOODINFLATION NUMBER IN ORDER TOKEEP THE RALLY GOING. IF IT COMES IN A LITTLE BIT HOTOR MAYBE EVEN IF IT COMES IN ASEXPECTED, PERHAPS WE SEE SOMESELLING AND PROFIT TAKING THERE. YEAH, JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT ISWORKING TODAY, A LOT OF IT WILLBE TECH. SOME OF IT IS LED BY SOME OF OURNAMES, TOO, WHETHER IT ISMICROSOFT OR A LOT OF SEMISLEADING, NVIDIA, AMD. IT HAS LOST A LITTLE BIT OF ITSJUICE SINCE EARNINGS.

☆ The fog in the English Channel is clearing a bit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But if the two sides can resolve a dispute over Northern Ireland there could be progress on topics such as climate change, foreign policy and financial services. Resolving the dispute over the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol is the key to unlocking cooperation on a range of topics. But a deal on Northern Ireland could be. Johnson agreed to such a forum as part of the political declaration accompanying the Brexit deal but then abandoned it. “Fog in the Channel: Continent cut off” is a mythical UK newspaper headline which supposedly summed up Britain’s disdain for its neighbours.

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