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☆ Insight: What happens when a $2 million gene therapy is not enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +13 min

Their experience raises broader questions around other high-cost gene therapies coming to market, sometimes after accelerated regulatory approvals, drug pricing experts said. Gene therapies work by replacing genes – the body's blueprint for its development. The gene Zolgensma delivers instructs the body to make a protein vital for muscle control. If gene therapies do fall short, it becomes harder to justify prices that researchers have argued are already poor value. More recently, the first hemophilia gene therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was priced by CSL Behring at $3.5 million; 26 more gene therapies are in late-stage development, according to IQVIA.

Persons: Elizabeth Kutschke, Ben, Zolgensma, Ben Kutschke, neurologists, Sitra Tauscher, Wisniewski, Ben's, Roger Hajjar, Brigham Gene, Kutschke, Vasant Narasimhan, Stacie Dusetzina, Roche's, Biogen, Roche, Maha Radhakrishnan, Steven Pearson, It's, Sree Chaguturu, Amanda Cook, Weston, Jackson, Cook, Elizabeth, Jerry Mendell, Russell Butterfield, –, Biogen's, Mendell, UMR, Spinraza, Eric Cox, Caroline Humer, Sara Ledwith Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Novartis, IQVIA Institute, Human Data, Novartis Gene Therapies, Mass, Cell Therapy, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, CSL Behring, CSL, Nashville's Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Clinical, Economic, CVS Health, Aetna, SMA, Nationwide Children's Hospital, University of Utah Health, Children's, UnitedHealth, Thomson Locations: Oak Park, Berwyn , Illinois, Swiss, U.S, Lebanon , Virginia, United States, Columbus , Ohio, Russia, Kazakhstan, Chicago

☆ Retailers are shaping a wave of laws to crack down on organized theft — here's how they do it
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Since 2022, at least nine states – six so far this year – have passed laws to impose harsher penalties for organized retail crime offenses. The new and proposed laws aim to deter brazen retail crime and go after the so-called kingpins who lead organized theft groups. But critics say the measures may not actually reduce organized retail crime, and could disproportionately harm marginalized groups. Plus, dozens of states already have organized theft laws on the books and the crime is still increasing, according to trade associations. Retailers and lawmakers say the misdemeanor charges have emboldened theft groups and allowed organized retail crime to spread.

Persons: Scott Olson, Doug McMillon, shoplifters aren't, Adrian Hemond, It's, they're, Chuck Grassley, Catherine Cortez Masto, CORCA, Cortez Masto, Cortez, Grassley, Sen, Anna Moneymaker, David Johnston, Jake Horowitz, Horowitz, criminologists, JC Hendrickson, Hendrickson, it's, cleaver, Manhattan, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Barry Williams Organizations: CNBC, National Retail Federation, Walmart, U.S . Senate, Grassroots, eBay, Target, Coordination Center, Nevada Democrats, Cheyenne High School, Pew Charitable Trust, Justice Action Network, Walgreens, Manhattan DA, New York Daily, Getty Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Iowa, North Las Vegas , Nevada, Florida, Manhattan , New York, New

☆ An author says AI is ‘writing’ unauthorized books being sold under her name on Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Others have said they don’t want their work being used to train AI models, which could then be used to imitate them. Amazon removed the fake books being sold under Friedman’s name and said its policies prohibit such imitation. Author Jane Friedman found several books being sold under her name on Amazon, only she didn't write them — she suspects artificial intelligence did. The Authors Guild has been working with Amazon since this past winter to address the issue of books written by AI, Rasenberger said. And, she said, companies and publishers should continue investing in creative work made by humans, even if AI appears more convenient.

Persons: Jane Friedman, I’ve, ” Friedman, —, ” Mary Rasenberger, Rasenberger, James Patterson, Roxane Gay, Margaret Atwood —, OpenAI, Friedman, they’d, Ashley Vanicek, ”, Suzanne Skyvara Organizations: New, New York CNN, Amazon, CNN, Authors, Microsoft, Twitter Locations: New York

A view of logo of New Development Bank (NDB) at its headquarters in Shanghai, China July 10, 2023. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said boosting local currency usage among the NDB's members will also be on the agenda, with the aim of de-risking the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations rather than de-dollarisation. "Most countries that are members of the NDB have been encouraging (it) to provide loans in local currencies," Godongwana said. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsSo far, China is by far the NDB's most successful local currency market. GROWING MEMBERSHIPNevertheless, the NDB, established with $10 billion in paid-in share capital from each BRICS country, wants to expand.

Persons: Aly, Enoch Godongwana, Godongwana, Leslie Maasdorp, Maasdorp, Alexander Ekbom, Chris Humphrey, Humphrey, Rachel Savage, Brenda Goh, Tannur Anders, Vincent Flasseur, Karin Strohecker, Joe Bavier, Alexander Smith Organizations: New Development Bank, REUTERS, Reuters, Finance, Federal Reserve, Reuters Graphics Reuters, U.S ., United Arab, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Reuters Graphics, Overseas Development Institute, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Africa, JOHANNESBURG, SHANGHAI, Russia, South Africa, Brazil, India, Johannesburg, Ukraine, United States, Mumbai, Brasilia, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Uruguay, Algeria, Honduras, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Asia, London

☆ Italian bank tax flip-flop leaves lasting scars
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The Italian government has raced to soothe bank investors spooked by its ill-thought-out bank windfall tax. The government has now said that the levy will be capped at 0.1% of total assets. If so, and applied to banks’ Italian businesses, then the total haul would be just under 2 billion euros, according to UBS. Still, bank shares have only partially recovered. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: tanking, Siena, That’s, Giorgia Meloni, Neil Unmack, Francesco Guerrera, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Banca Monte dei, UBS, Banca, Banco, Twitter, Siemens, Thomson

☆ My 10-year-old spends up to 5 hours a week learning to code. Here are the best resources I've found to help him get ahead in his future career.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Robin Madell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Joel Gratcyk's son Wesley spends a few hours a week learning to code in Python, PHP, and Swift. Wesley started taking free courses when he was 7 and uses both online and library resources. Gratcyk said that whether or not Wesley goes into coding, he'll have an advantage in his career. Another one he's done is freeCodeCamp , which offers over 3,000 hours of tutorials for all levels of computer programming for free. The amount of time Wesley spends on coding changes from week to weekWesley enjoys coding most days.

Persons: Joel Gratcyk's, Wesley, Swift, Gratcyk, Joel Gratcyk, It's, He's, I've, we've, we're Organizations: Service, Khan Academy, Apple Locations: Wall, Silicon, Illinois

☆ Smartmatic accuses Rudy Giuliani of ‘dog ate my homework’-style excuses to avoid turning over documents in defamation suit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The approach by Smartmatic mimics what Giuliani has faced in another defamation lawsuit related to the 2020 election. After the 2020 election, Smartmatic sued Fox News, its parent corporation, several of its on-air hosts, Giuliani, and other pro-Trump entities and figures. The right-wing network paid $787 million to settle a similar lawsuit earlier this year from another electronic voting company, Dominion Voting Systems. The Smartmatic case is one of several fronts where Giuliani is facing intense legal scrutiny. The judge in that case has previously warned Giuliani that he might face severe sanctions for discovery-related issues that are similar to his alleged stonewalling in the Smartmatic case.

Persons: Smartmatic, Rudy Giuliani, ”, Giuliani, “, ’, ” Smartmatic, Jack Smith’s, Donald Trump, Polantz Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Giuliani, Trump, Dominion Voting Systems, Fox, Dominion, New Locations: New York, Georgia, Florida, United States, New York City

☆ Goldman Sachs' summer internships are coming to a close. A former intern turned partner breaks down the 5 secrets to successfully snagging a return offer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

This summer Goldman hosted 2,970 interns, about 500 of whom were placed in the investment bank, according to stats provided by Goldman. They advised future Goldman interns to learn how to multitask and have a solutions-oriented mindset, among other suggestions. "You go into someone's office, you don't sit there and say, 'I don't know how to do this,'" he said. As selective as the application process is, Goldman summer analysts are not expected to know how to do their jobs before they start. "I said, I'm really nervous, I don't know how to model.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Dave Friedland debunks, Stephenson, —, it's, Goldman, Dave Friedland, India Stephenson, Friedland, David Freidland Goldman Sachs Friedland, we've, It's, Princeton University —, they're, who's, I'm Organizations: Wall, Cross Markets, Investment Banking, Committee, Columbia University, University of Michigan, Princeton University Locations: dealmaking, India

And its flagship gaming brand, Republic of Gamers (ROG), offers a range of graphics cards, desktop towers, monitors, and more — including laptops, like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a gaming laptop that packs premium performance into a lightweight package. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptop (GA402XY) The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2023) is a slim gaming laptop equipped with top-tier hardware. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14: SpecsAsus produces a variety of different G14 models, each with different specifications. The Zephyrus G14's bright screen, great performance, and portability make it a perfect match for gamers or creative professionals on the go.

Persons: I've, William Antonelli, It's, Fortnite, Price, I'd Organizations: Asus, Republic of Gamers, Nvidia, ASUS, AMD, McAfee, Bluetooth

Sterling initially dropped, reflecting disappointment after traders had priced in a 30% chance of another 50 bp hike. Longer-term gilt yields, more responsive to investors' perceptions about the economic growth trajectory, rose by the most in a month. Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey attends a press conference for the Monetary Policy Report August 2023, at the Bank of England in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. Two-year gilt yields have risen by more than 120 basis points this year, more than double the increase of their U.S. equivalent. On Thursday, two-year gilt yields were down 5 bps in late trade, while those on 30-year debt rose 10 bps, the most in a month, to 4.66%.

Persons: BoE, Andy Burgess, Andrew Bailey, Sterling, we've, Bank of England Andrew Bailey, Alastair Grant, Jeremy Hunt, Carl Shepherd, they'll, juicier, Peter Goves, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Bank, Bank of England, Monetary, REUTERS, Conservative, Newton Investment Management, Swiss, MFS Investment Management, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, LGIM, London, Britain, U.S

☆ Some U.S. government agencies are testing out A.I. to help fulfill public records requests
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Lewis Kamb | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Still, some open government and civil rights advocates are already raising concerns that the government's move toward using AI to help address FOIA problems may create new ones. So far, government agencies haven't widely disclosed to the public what kinds of AI tools are being used, and in what fashion, Marshall said. But experts widely agree the FOIA process must be modernized and fixed, as requests can sometimes take months, even years, to fulfill. An increasing number of requesters have turned to the courts for help in prying records loose in a timely manner. The state department is now testing two AI models to help process FOIA requests, Stein said.

Persons: —, Jason R, Adam Marshall, Marshall, they're, Michael Sarich, Eric F, Stein, that's, There's, Bradford Brown, Brown, Mitre, Baron, Clinton, Brett Max Kaufman Organizations: State Department, Justice Department, Centers for Disease Control, NBC News, University of Maryland, Freedom, Press, Justice Department's, Information, Department of Veterans Affairs, Justice, CDC, NBC, Mitre Corp, National Archives, Records Administration, Mitre Locations: —

CNN —A man’s body was found inside a plastic barrel at a beach in Malibu, California, after a lifeguard spotted the unusual item floating offshore, officials announced. The body was inside a 55-liter black drum, which was discovered at Malibu Lagoon State Beach, Lieutenant Hugo Reynaga with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Monday. Homicide investigators are examining the circumstances surround the death of the man, who was identified as a Black adult, the sheriff’s department said in a release. A state park maintenance worker first spotted the large drum floating in the lagoon around 3 p.m. Sunday, Reynaga said. Around 10 a.m. Monday, the lifeguard swam out to get the barrel from the lagoon and opened it on shore, finding a “non-responsive” person inside, the lieutenant said.

Persons: Hugo Reynaga, Reynaga, Jorge Moreno Organizations: CNN, Los, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California State Parks Locations: Malibu , California, Malibu Lagoon, Los Angeles, California

☆ Who is Carlos De Oliveira, the 3rd defendant named in a docket charging Trump and Walt Natua?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The superseding indictment against Trump included a new defendant, Carlos De Oliveira. De Oliveira is the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, and helped move boxes to obscure evidence. What did the special counsel Jack Smith's office charge him with, in the new superseding indictment? De Oliveira later helped Nauta load some of the boxes on Trump's plane when he left for the summer, the superseding indictment alleges. After the FBI discovered more classified documents in Trump's personal office and storage room, Trump called De Oliveira and told him he would get De Oliveira an attorney.

Persons: Trump, Carlos De Oliveira, De Oliveira, Donald Trump's, Jack Smith's, Waltine, University of Richmond Carl Tobias, Tobias, … Organizations: Mar, Service, Privacy, Department, Justice, Court, Southern, Southern District of, Lago, Trump, FBI, University of Richmond Locations: Wall, Silicon, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Lago

☆ United Airlines details temporary Newark, New Jersey airport flight cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last week, Chicago-based United said it would drop to about 395 flights from 410 at the New York City-area airport after operational issues. On Wednesday, the airline said it will temporarily end service between Honolulu and Newark through Sept. 4 but not cut any international flights. A government audit said staffing issues pose risks to the continuity of air traffic operations. U.S. airlines, including United, have urged more hiring of air traffic controllers. United CEO Scott Kirby met with the acting head of the FAA on July 11, weeks after he criticized its air traffic control performance.

Persons: United, Scott Kirby, Kirby, Polly Trottenberg, David Shepardson, Grant McCool Organizations: United Airlines, New, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, United, Thomson Locations: Newark, New Jersey, Chicago, New York City, Honolulu, U.S

☆ House Judiciary Committee to vote on whether to cite Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The House Judiciary Committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to cite Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress for what it says is a failure to provide adequate documents in connection with an earlier subpoena in the panel's online censorship investigation. If the committee votes to cite Zuckerberg in contempt, the resolution will then need to pass the House floor. A criminal contempt case, as the committee suggests, could be referred to the Justice Department, which could decide whether to take up the case. "Although directly responsive to the Committee's subpoena, Meta has failed to produce nearly all of the relevant documents internal to the company," the contempt report says. "To date, Meta has produced only documents between Meta and external entities and a small subset of relevant internal documents.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Biden, Jim Jordan, Jordan, Meta, Andy Stone, Stone Organizations: Meta, Justice Department, Apple, Microsoft, CNBC, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Ohio

Shein has denied using forced labor and that it was planning to go public in the U.S. this year. U.S. lawmakers are also questioning Shein's data privacy and use of a U.S. duty exemption on low-priced direct shipments to consumers. Shein's $600,000 lobbying outlay, filed on Friday, does not put it "among the biggest spenders," Auble said. By contrast, U.S. retailers Walmart spent $1.62 million and Gap spent $140,000 in the second quarter, lobbying disclosures showed. Since the 2022 third quarter, Shein has paid lobbying firms Hobart Hallaway & Quayle Ventures $500,000; and Akin, Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld $270,000, the firms' filings showed.

Persons: Daniel Auble, Shein, Auble, Akin, Gump Strauss Hauer, Feld, Arriana McLymore, Richard Chang Organizations: YORK, Capitol, Center for Responsive, Securities and Exchange Commission, Reuters, Labor, Walmart, Hobart Hallaway, Quayle, Thomson, & $, & $ Locations: China, Singapore, U.S, New York City

☆ Which Republicans can challenge Trump? Here's what the money says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —For any Republican presidential candidate not named Donald Trump, making the first primary debate on August 23 in Milwaukee is an essential obstacle to overcome. The Republican National Committee set minimum viability requirements that numerous candidates are having trouble meeting. But the FEC – which is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans – often struggles to agree on enforcement actions. But that perhaps is not surprising – given how large Trump, his former boss-turned-nemesis, looms over the hard-core Republican base. How is Trump making money these days?

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Fredreka Schouten, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s, “, ”, Doug Burgum, Burgum, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, I’ve, Republicans –, Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Ramaswamy –, he’s, hasn’t, ” Trump, Christie, Mike Pence, Pence, Hutchinson, Will Hurd, We’ve, can’t, Steve Contorno, Trump’s, WOLF, You’ve, Melania, Melania Trump, Biden, Joe Biden, That’s, Barack Obama, I’m, David Wright suss, David, Alex Leeds Matthews, –, it’s Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Republican National Committee, Trump, Miami Mayor, GOP, “ Francis Free, North Dakota Gov, Former Arkansas Gov, Federal, Commission, Republicans, Florida Gov, New, New Jersey Gov, Politico, White, Democratic, DNC, Biden Locations: Milwaukee, –, Florida, New Jersey, Wisconsin

☆ Oil markets will face 'serious problems' as demand from China and India ramps up, IEF secretary general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Oil prices are expected to increase in the second half of 2023, according to the International Energy Forum. Oil prices are set to rise in the second half of the year as supply struggles to meet demand, according to the Secretary General of the International Energy Forum. McMonigle attributes the push in oil prices to increasing demand from China — the world's largest importer of crude oil — and India. "India and China combined will make up 2 million barrels a day of demand pick-up in the second half of this year," the Secretary General said. Asked if oil prices could once again spike to $100 a barrel, he noted that prices are already at $80 per barrel and could potentially go higher from here.

Persons: Joseph McMonigle, we're, McMonigle, General, —, Brent Organizations: International Energy, International Energy Forum, CNBC, of, Petroleum, West Texas Locations: Goa, India, China, OPEC

☆ NFL approves sale of Washington Commanders and evies $60 million fine on ex-owner
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( David Close | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Washington Commanders will have a new ownership group as the team’s previous owner faces a $60 million fine from the league following an independent investigation finding workplace misconduct and financial improprieties. The Commanders’ new ownership group includes Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and billionaire Mitch Rales, Harris’ longtime sports business partner. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell congratulated Harris and his partners after the unanimous vote. Johnston told a congressional committee that the Commanders owner had put his hand on her leg under the table at a work dinner and tried to persuade her to get into his limousine. “The conduct substantiated in Ms. White’s findings has no place in the NFL,” a statement from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated.

Persons: Josh Harris, Harris, Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, Mitch Rales, Harris ’, Roger Goodell, “ Josh, Josh, ” Goodell, Daniel Snyder, Snyder, Tanya, Dan Snyder, Mary Jo White, White, Tiffani Johnston, Johnston, ”, “, Ms, ” Snyder, —, “ Mr, Goodell Organizations: CNN, Washington, NFL, Apollo Global Management, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, Basketball Hall of Famer, Street Journal, former Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, ” Locations: Washington, Minnesota

☆ Hollywood studios say they offered actors $1 billion in gains before strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, July 17 (Reuters) - Major film and television studios offered Hollywood actors more than $1 billion in higher compensation and enhanced benefits before the SAG-AFTRA union called a strike last week, a group that represents media companies said on Monday. "For SAG-AFTRA to assert that we have not been responsive to the needs of its membership is disingenuous at best," the AMPTP added. The union said the studios countered with an offer of 5%. "We moved on some things, but from day one they wouldn’t meaningfully engage on the most critical issues," SAG-AFTRA said. The actors have joined members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which went on strike May 2 after failing to reach a deal with the AMPTP.

Persons: AFTRA, Lisa Richwine, Robert Birsel Organizations: SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Netflix Inc, Walt Disney Co, Warner Bros Discovery, Writers Guild of America, Thomson Locations: ANGELES

☆ Actors and Hollywood Studios ‘Remain Far Apart’ on Crucial Issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( John Koblin | More About John Koblin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As tens of thousands of actors go into their fifth day of a strike versus the Hollywood studios, the two sides have shown no signs of returning to the bargaining table — and are even exchanging barbed messages that underscore how far apart they are. Late on Monday night, leadership of SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, sent out a 12-page memo to members laying out their demands and the studios’ counterproposals. They “remain far apart on the most critical issues that affect the very survival of our profession,” the note said. “A strike is not the outcome we wanted,” the alliance said. “For SAG-AFTRA to assert that we have not been responsive to the needs of its membership is disingenuous at best.”

Persons: “, ” Organizations: Hollywood, SAG, The Alliance, Television Producers

She was originally more concerned about paying off their combined six-figure student loan debt and felt like they weren't in a stable position to start buying real estate. Start investing in real estate with Yieldstreet »They shared the following pieces of advice:1. I went to the library every week and just checked out all these books on real estate and personal finance," Crystal said. "You don't have to buy real estate to get into real estate," Crystal. Use Fundrise to start investing in real estate with as little as $10 »3.

Persons: Franz, Crystal Espanol's, wasn't, Crystal, it's, You'd, they've, that's Organizations: Crystal Espanol, Service, Invest Locations: Wall, Silicon, Philadelphia, Southern California, California

☆ Laid-off Twitter staff in Africa say they've been 'ghosted' and haven't received their promised severance pay months later, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The workers Twitter laid off in Africa claim the company "ghosted" them, CNN reported. The ex-employees told CNN they still haven't been given the severance pay they were promised. The workers that Twitter laid off in Ghana claim that they've been "ghosted" by Elon Musk's social-media company and haven't received their promised severance pay, CNN reported. But communications with the company have since stopped and they're still waiting for severance pay, the laid-off staff told the outlet. "They literally ghosted us," one of the laid-off employees told CNN.

Persons: Elon Musk, they've, Elon Musk's, haven't, Musk, they're, Twitter didn't, he's Organizations: Twitter, CNN, Elon, Morning, Staff Locations: Africa, Ghana

☆ Laid-off Twitter Africa team ‘ghosted’ without severance pay or benefits, former employees say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Nairobi, Kenya CNN —Former employees of Twitter Africa who were laid off as part of a global cost-cutting measure after Elon Musk’s acquisition have not received any severance pay more than seven months since leaving the company, several sources told CNN. “They literally ghosted us,” one former Twitter Africa employee told CNN. Twitter and Musk face multiple lawsuits where plaintiffs are claiming the company has failed to pay former staffers what they are owed. The plaintiff said Twitter promised senior employees severance of six months of base pay plus one week for every year of service, in addition to other benefits. “We’re exploring our options with respect to causes of action against Twitter in various jurisdictions including Ghana,” Olympio told CNN.

Persons: “, ”, Carla Olympio, Musk, Ghana’s, ” Olympio, Twitter, David Odisho Organizations: Kenya CNN —, Twitter, Elon, CNN, Ghana’s Ministry of Employment, Labor Relations, BBC Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Twitter Africa, Accra, Africa, Ghana, San Francisco , California, Europe, North America

☆ Give Journalists What They Need To Hold Big Tech Accountable - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Julia Angwin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The traditional gatekeepers of knowledge — librarians, journalists and government officials — have largely been replaced by technological gatekeepers — search engines, artificial intelligence chatbots and social media feeds. Whatever their flaws, the old gatekeepers were, at least on paper, beholden to the public. The reforms also require large tech platforms to audit their algorithms to determine how they affect democracy, human rights and the physical and mental health of minors and other users. To hold them accountable, the law also requires large tech platforms like Facebook and Twitter to provide researchers with access to real-time data from their platforms. But there is a crucial element that has yet to be decided by the European Union: whether journalists will get access to any of that data.

Persons: — Organizations: European Union, Digital Services, Digital Markets, Big Tech, Facebook, Twitter, European Locations: China, India, European Union

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