DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ The creators of '3 Body Problem' offered Barack Obama a cameo after learning he was a big fan. He turned it down in the best way possible.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Barack Obama turned down an offer to appear on Netflix's new sci-fi series "3 Body Problem." Creators David Benioff and DB Weiss tried to get him for a cameo as he is a fan of the novel. AdvertisementJin Cheng (Jess Hong) and Jack Rooney (John Bradley) star in "3 Body Problem." "3 Body Problem" is the most ambitious project from Benioff and Weiss since "Game of Thrones" wrapped with its eighth season in 2019. AdvertisementPer USA Today, Obama hasn't put in a request to check out "3 Body Problem" early.

Persons: Barack Obama, David Benioff, DB Weiss, —, Alexander Woo, John Bradley, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González, Benedict Wong, Jonathan Pryce, Benioff, Weiss, Jin Cheng, Jess Hong, Jack Rooney, Ed Miller, Obama, Liu Cixin, Barack Obama Spencer Platt, Obama hasn't Organizations: Service, Netflix, USA, The New York Times Locations: Benioff

☆ The best career advice Barack Obama gave his ex-speechwriter
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

When your boss is the president of the United States and gives you career advice, you take it. Aneesh Raman was working as a speechwriter for President Barack Obama from 2011 to 2013 and remembers one key piece of career advice the president would often share: "Worry about what you want to do, not who you want to be." Before his political career, Obama got his start in community organizing in Chicago. LinkedIn recently identified fast-growing jobs on the rise in 2024, including chief growth officer and sustainability analyst — many of which didn't exist 20 years ago. This framework is the "safest" way to think of a long-lasting career, Raman says, "because you can control all of those levers, versus job title.

Persons: Aneesh Raman, Barack Obama, Obama, Raman, who's Organizations: CNBC, LinkedIn Locations: United States, Chicago

☆ Looking for leads, not love: Job seekers in China turn Tinder into a networking tool
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Larissa Gao | Helen Chen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Similar posts suggesting dating apps as a way to find jobs are not uncommon on Chinese social media. "By using dating apps, we can reach more people," Liang said. But with dating apps, you hang out with strangers for a couple of hours and they can already provide you with tons of their personal information." "I cannot believe people would even go on dating apps to find jobs," read one comment on Weibo, China's equivalent of X. Tinder users in China "are already very selective because the vast majority of users were pursuing degrees overseas," Zeng said.

Persons: Liang, Geng, Tinder, Romy Liu, Liu, Zoey Zeng, Zeng Organizations: NBC News Locations: Huaibei, East China's Anhui, China, Weibo, Hangzhou, Paris, France

☆ Chinese job seekers are turning to this unlikely US app to find jobs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese young people are using Tinder to find jobs amid high unemployment. US users are also turning to dating apps like Grindr for career networking. Related stories"By using dating apps, we can reach more people," Shanghai student Jade Liang told NBC News. AdvertisementTinder is also not keen on prospective job applicants using the app to find a job and, in fact, it's against the app's community guidelines. It's not just Chinese users who have turned to dating apps to find jobs or advance their careers.

Persons: —, Jade Liang, Romy Liu, Liu, Tinder, It's, Grindr Organizations: NBC, Service, of Labor, NBC News, Business Locations: China, Covid, Shanghai

☆ Former 6-figure tech worker earns $22K baking pastries in France—how much her life abroad costs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Valerie Valcourt has lived all around the U.S. in Seattle, New York City and Washington, D.C. But she made her biggest move yet last year when she quit her six-figure Big Tech job to go to pastry school in France. She'd always wanted to live abroad and go to culinary school, so she began researching her options. Valerie Valcourt quit her job as an executive assistant and moved to France for culinary school in her 30s. Valerie Valcourt American who moved to France for pastry schoolTo start, her employer covers her seasonal housing, at least until April when a new intern class starts.

Persons: Valerie Valcourt, She'd, Valcourt, I'm, she's Organizations: Big Tech, CNBC Locations: Seattle , New York City, Washington, France, Seattle, Connecticut, Pont, l'Isere, Europe, Switzerland, Paris, London

London/Hong Kong CNN —McDonald’s has been hit by a system failure in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, with many stores forced to close and online ordering suspended. “Many stores across the country have temporarily suspended operations,” McDonald’s Japan said in a post on X Friday. “There is currently a system failure,” it said earlier. McDonald’s stores around Australia were affected by a major outage Friday, with customers struggling to place orders, CNN affiliate 9 News reported. Please order directly at the restaurant counter.”In the UK, Maria Avram, who works at a McDonald’s store in London, told CNN that there was a system outage between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time (2 a.m and 3 a.m.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — McDonald’s, CNN McDonald’s Hong, Maria Avram, McDonald’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, CNN McDonald’s, Facebook Locations: Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, CNN McDonald’s Hong Kong, London

☆ Apple supplier Foxconn sees strong 2024 as Q4 beats forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The outlook has turned rosier since Foxconn Chairman Young Liu said in November the world's largest contract electronics maker had "relatively conservative and neutral" expectations for 2024. The profit beat a T$43.52 billion LSEG SmartEstimate, which gives greater weight to forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate. In the fourth quarter, consumer electronics including smartphones accounted for 58% of revenue while cloud and networking products, including servers, contributed 20%. Foxconn said it expects revenue for the first quarter to slightly decline from a year earlier, with revenue for smart computer electronics also likely to drop in the period. Apple last month reported sales and profit that beat Wall Street estimates, powered by growth in its iPhone business though its China sales missed analysts' targets.

Persons: 20JUL16 SCMP, Nora Tam, Foxconn, Young Liu Organizations: South China Morning, Getty, Foxconn, Hai Precision Industry Co, Apple, Wall Locations: Foxconn, Longhua, Shenzhen, 20JUL16, South, China

☆ Why Taiwan Is Building a Satellite Network Without Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Meaghan Tobin | John Liu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In Taiwan, the government is racing to do what no country or even company has been able to: build an alternative to Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX. Starlink has allowed militaries, power plants and medical workers to maintain crucial online connections when primary infrastructure has failed in emergencies, such as an earthquake in Tonga and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Officials in Taiwan face constant reminders that its communication infrastructure must be able to withstand a crisis. The island democracy sits 80 miles from China, where leaders have vowed to use force if needed to assert claims that Taiwan is part of its territory. Taiwan experiences regular cyberattacks and near-daily incursions into its waters and airspace by the People’s Liberation Army, which has been built up in recent years.

Persons: Starlink Organizations: Elon Musk’s, SpaceX, Officials, People’s Liberation Army Locations: Taiwan, Tonga, Ukraine, China

☆ Sen. Bernie Sanders introduces 4-day workweek legislation
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The four-day workweek is gaining momentum in Congress: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced legislation Wednesday that would reduce the standard workweek to 32 hours without a pay cut. The act would shorten the standard workweek over four years by mandating that overtime pay kicks in after 32 hours worked in a week, down from the current 40. Today's 40-hour workweek has been federal law since 1940 following the passing of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Proponents of a shorter workweek say advances in technology have made workers more productive, but have not resulted in higher wages or time back. Supporters say a lower overtime threshold would encourage business to either pay workers more for longer hours, or shorten their week and hire more people.

Persons: Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders Organizations: Fair Labor, Wall

☆ Taiwan's vice president-elect on 'personal trip' to U.S.; China objects
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Taiwan's vice president-elect and former de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, is in the United States this week for a private visit, a senior Taiwanese official and a U.S. spokesperson said on Tuesday, a trip China said it "firmly opposes." Taiwan's vice president-elect and former de facto ambassador to Washington, Hsiao Bi-khim, is in the United States this week for a private visit, a senior Taiwanese official and a U.S. spokesperson said on Tuesday, a trip China said it "firmly opposes." China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, despite Taiwanese objections, and has been angered by past visits to the United States by Taiwan's president and vice president. Chinese Embassy Spokesperson Liu Pengyu said China "firmly opposes" any form of official interaction between the U.S. and "the Taiwan region," and referred to Hsiao Bi-khim as "a diehard 'Taiwan independence' separatist." "We firmly oppose any visit by Hsiao Bi-khim to the U.S. in any name or under whatever pretext," Liu said, adding that the United States should "not arrange any form of contact between the U.S. government officials and Hsiao Bi-khim."

Persons: Hsiao, Liu Pengyu, Hsiao Bi, Liu Organizations: U.S Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, China, Taiwan

☆ You'll have almost zero competition to land a 'highly paid' job in these 10 cities
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

4 city with the least amount of competition to land a "highly paid" job, according to a new analysis from Career.io, a career management platform. 19 Toledo, Ohio, among the biggest least competitive towns with some 269,000 residents, barely one person applies to a highly paid job there every day, on average. The top cities with low competition in the job market have a higher share of these vacancies. On the flip side, the most competitive place to land a highly paid job is Salt Lake City, where every highly paid open job (defined as a salary over $94,515) received roughly 35 applicants every day. Several inland cities, including St. Louis and Denver, showed fiercer competition on the high-paying job market over coastal cities including San Francisco (No.

Persons: Taylor Tomita, Tomita Organizations: LinkedIn, of Labor Statistics, Census, NeoMam Studios, Career.io Locations: Sitka , Alaska, Parkersburg, W.V, Toledo , Ohio, Parkersburg , West Virginia, Nampa , Idaho, , Montana, Sitka, Alaska, , Nebraska, Kearney , Nebraska, Dover , New Hampshire, Laredo , Texas, Morgantown, West Virginia, Olathe , Kansas, Salt Lake City, Louis, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Neuschwanstein: US man gets life sentence for Germany rape and murder
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Nadine Schmidt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Berlin CNN —An American man has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a tourist and the attempted murder of her friend – both US citizens from Illinois – in a gruesome attack near one of Germany’s most popular tourist sights. A German court convicted the 31-year-old tourist from Michigan, identified as Troy B., for the attack on the two women near Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. Police officers arrested Troy B. near the scene of the attack. Troy B. attends his sentencing at a court in Kempten, Germany, March 11, 2024. “If it stays that way, our client will definitely have to spend 15 years in Germany before he is extradited.

Persons: Berlin CNN —, –, Troy B, Christoph Schwiebacher, Eva Liu, Kelsey Chang, Liu, Chang, Karl, Josef Hildenbrand, Alexander Stevens Organizations: Berlin CNN, Illinois –, University of Illinois, Prosecutors, Police, Troy Locations: Illinois, Michigan, Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Kempten, Germany, University of Illinois Urbana, Champaign, German, Straubing, USA, Munich, Europe

☆ Best and Worst Moments From the 2024 Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fittingly for an Academy Awards celebrating 2023, the year of “Barbenheimer,” the movies that made up that phenomenon commanded our attention on Sunday night, too. Most Charming Performance: Ryan Gosling, ‘I’m Just Ken’America’s No. 1 Ken, the “Barbie” star Ryan Gosling — who was also nominated for best supporting actor and presented a tribute to stunt performers with Emily Blunt — brought the house down with his performance of “I’m Just Ken,” one of two nominated “Barbie” songs. Gosling roamed into the audience, getting Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, America Ferrera and Emma Stone briefly on mic. If the Oscars wanted a viral video moment, they sure got it (even though it had been announced in advance).

Persons: “, Ryan Gosling, Ken, ”, “ Barbie, Oppenheimer ”, ‘ I’m, Ken ’ America’s, Barbie, Ryan Gosling —, Emily Blunt —, “ I’m, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben, Adir, Scott Evans, Ncuti, Gosling, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, America Ferrera, Emma Stone, Mark Ronson, Wolfgang Van Halen, — Alissa Wilkinson Organizations: Hollywood Locations: tuxes

☆ He was once hailed as the pride of China. Now nationalists are coming for this Nobel laureate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, some of China’s most zealous online nationalists have a new target in their crosshairs: the country’s first officially recognized Nobel laureate. Mo Yan receives the 2012 Nobel Literature Prize from King Carl Gustaf of Sweden during an award ceremony on December 10, 2012 in Stockholm. He accused Wu of creating a publicity stunt by “maliciously framing” the Nobel laureate and taking his words out of context. In 2011, he was named the vice chairman of the state-run Chinese Writers Association – an appointment that could not have been made without the blessing of the party. In 2022, Sima Nan, a nationalist pundit known for his inflammatory criticism of the United States, famously accused Mo’s Nobel win of being a Western effort to smear China.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — They’ve, Mo Yan, Xi Jinping, Xi, Wu Wanzheng, Mao Xinghuo, Wu, Guan Moye, –, Mo, King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Jonathan Nackstrand, ” Zhang Yongsheng, Hu Xijin, Hu, ”, Murong Xuecun, “ Xi, Mao, Writers Association –, Liu Xiaobo, Liu, caricaturize, “, doesn’t, Sima Nan, Mo’s Nobel, ” Murong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Communist, Getty, Red Guards, Tongji University, Global Times, Writers Association, Chinese Writers Association Locations: China, Hong Kong, Mo, Weibo, Stockholm, AFP, Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong, United States

☆ StanChart strategist discusses China's CPI target, inflation outlook
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'Quite unlikely' that China will hit its CPI inflation target of 3% this year: StanChart strategistBecky Liu, head of China macro strategy at Standard Chartered, says "our forecast for CPI inflation is only averaging 0.5% in 2024."

Persons: Becky Liu Organizations: Standard Chartered Locations: China

☆ The 'Barbie' cast wore all-black to celebrate America Ferrera, not protest their Oscar snubs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Anneta Konstantinides | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementBut these fans were ignoring the fact that one "Barbie" star was wearing Barbie pink — America Ferrera. America Ferrera attends the 2024 Oscars. It was a showstopping dress that finally gave Ferrera — who mostly wore black during the "Barbie" press tour — her big red-carpet moment. America Ferrera presenting at the 2024 Oscars with her "Barbie" costar Kate McKinnon. AdvertisementFerrera received her first Oscar nomination for "Barbie."

Persons: —, Margot Robbie, Robbie, strapless Versace, Mike Coppola, Barbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Greta Gerwig hadn't, Jeff Kravitz, America Ferrera, Arturo Holmes, Ferrera —, Gerwig's snubs, Gosling, Hillary Clinton, Gerwig, America, Rich Polk, Ferrera, Rita Moreno, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Emma McIntyre Organizations: Service, Academy, Business, AMI, ABC, Hollywood, America, Variety, Latina

As well as celebrating the year in movies, the annual extravaganza has long been the red carpet event of the year. Kevin Mazur/Getty ImagesTeo Yoo. Alberto Rodriguez/Variety/Getty ImagesJamie Lee Curtis looked elegant in a flowing black gown by Dolce & Gabbana. Kevin Mazur/Getty ImagesLeah Lewis, star of Best Animated Feature “Elemental,” looked dreamy in a layered Lever Couture gown featuring a whimsical train. Marleen Moise/Getty ImagesTaylor Zakhar Perez popped on the red carpet with a blue Prada suit styled by leading celebrity stylist Jason Bolden.

Persons: Margot Robbie who’s, “ Barbie ”, Colman Domingo, America Ferrera, Billie Eilish, Zendaya, Danielle Brooks, Mike Coppola, Andrea Riseborough, Loewe, Alberto Rodriguez, Ferrera, Richard Shotwell, Steinfeld, Elie, Sarah Meyssonnier, Huy Quan, Giorgio Armani, Jordan Strauss, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons Jordan Strauss, Louis, David Yurman, Laverne Cox, David Swanson, Issa Rae, Mark Ronson, Grace Gummer, Kevin Mazur, Teo Yoo, Barbie, Simu Liu, Sean Lennon, Kemp Muhl, Gilbert Flores, Sandra Hüller, Cartier, Justine Triet Jordan Strauss, AP Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade Kevin Mazur, Ludwig Göransson Kevin Mazur, Masaki Takahashi, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko, Christina, Eva Longoria’s, Tamara Ralph, Rita Moreno, Reuters D'Pharaoh Woon, Chasinghorse, Jamie Lee Curtis, Omar Rudberg, Sarah Morris, WireImage, Sean Wang, Chang Li Hua, Sam Davis, Yi Yan Fuei, Chang, Yi, Leah Lewis, Gregg DeGuire, Dominic Sessa, Tom Ford, Celine Song, Reuters Marlee Matlin, Oscar, dazzled, Raymond, Marleen Moise, Ramakrishnan, Zuhair Murad, Getty, Taylor Zakhar Perez, Jason Bolden, Erika Alexander Organizations: CNN, Dolby Theatre, Hollywood’s, America, Dolce, Gabbana, Elie Saab, Louis Vuitton, Getty, AMI Paris, Variety, AP, Los Angeles Times, Reuters Locations: AFP

☆ 34-year-old quit her 6-figure tech job to go to pastry school in France: 'What would I want to be doing that would bring me joy?'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

She'd always wanted to go to culinary school abroad and, after some online research, submitted her application to a French school on a whim. Tuition ranges from 4,300 euros ($4,666) for two months of just cooking lessons, or up to 18,700 euros ($20,290) for a year-long program with cooking lessons, pastry lessons, French lessons and an internship. She officially moved to France in January 2023 and began her accelerated three-month program of intensive pastry courses and French lessons, followed by a four-month internship. Valcourt says the best things about her pastry job are learning new skills and working with her hands. Looking back, she's grateful her first try at culinary school didn't pan out.

Persons: Valerie Valcourt, it's, Valcourt, She'd, —, France Valcourt, she's Organizations: Big Tech, Seattle, CNBC Locations: South, France, Seattle, New York, Connecticut, Pont, l'Isere

☆ Ryan Gosling Delivers a ‘Just Ken’ Spectacle at the Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Esther Zuckerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In one of the most anticipated and surely one of the most exuberant moments of Oscar night, Ryan Gosling took the stage to perform “I’m Just Ken,” the nominated song from “Barbie” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Wearing a sparkling pink suit and a cowboy hat, Gosling started out in the audience serenading his “Barbie” co-star Margot Robbie, who couldn’t contain her giggles. He then took the stage surrounded by an army of besuited Ken dancers, including fellow movie Kens Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa and Scott Evans. Mark Ronson joined him onstage but Slash of Guns N’ Roses did the true shredding, showing up midway through for a cameo. His early routines, including one in which he wears “Hammer pants,” have received tens of millions of views online.

Persons: Oscar, Ryan Gosling, Ken, ”, “ Barbie ”, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Gosling, Barbie ”, Margot Robbie, Liu, Kingsley Ben, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Robbie, Greta Gerwig, “ Barbie, America Ferrera, Emma Stone, Stone, Ronson, Barbie, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake Organizations: Mouse, Disney Locations: “ La La

☆ '3 Body Problem' is not 'Game of Thrones' with aliens — but it's just getting started
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Similarly, it's hard to tell how "3 Body Problem" will pan out even from its first season, which by the end still feels like it's only barely gotten started. Netflix"3 Body Problem" is based on Chinese author Liu Cixin's "Remembrance of Earth's Past" trilogy. The modern-day storyline is less compelling — at least so farJin Cheng (Jess Hong) and Jack Rooney (John Bradley) in "3 Body Problem." "3 Body Problem" has a "Contact"-like bent, in that it attempts to use science and extraterrestrial life to interrogate the idea of God itself. But "3 Body Problem" is worth your time, if at least to see what some of television's greatest hitmakers have taken on next.

Persons: David Benioff, Weiss, Liu Cixin's, Alexander Woo, —, Benioff, Carl Sagan fan's, Ye Wenjie, Ye Zhetai, he's, she's, Wenjie, Rosalind Chao, Tseng, Derek Tsang, Jin Cheng, Jess Hong, Jack Rooney, John Bradley, Ed Miller, alums, Da Shi, Benedict Wong, Thomas Wade, Liam Cunningham, Ye, Woo, It's, Ye Wenjie's Organizations: Netflix, Service, HBO, Amazon's, Tsinghua University Locations: China, Mongolia, London, Oxford

☆ China growth target: Beijing wants to upgrade the economy. Why are investors so skeptical?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese leaders have pledged to achieve an ambitious growth rate this year, while reshaping its economic model to focus on technology innovation. On Tuesday, Premier Li Qiang announced that economic growth target of around 5% for 2024, which he said “will not be easy” to hit, given that a Covid-battered 2022 had provided a lower base of growth for last year. “The level of support is likely too little to rocket the economy to its 5% growth target this year,” said Sarah Tan, an economist at Moody’s, referring to the measures announced by Li Tuesday. “China is walking a tightrope on the fiscal front between infrastructure stimulus and LGFV [local government financing vehicle] deleveraging,” said Goldman Sachs analysts on Wednesday. In order to achieve the ambitious 5% growth target, more specific stimulus is needed, such as increasing manufacturing investments, Liu said.

Persons: Li Qiang, “, ”, Sarah Tan, Li Tuesday, Goldman Sachs, Li, ” Nomura, Xi Jinping, Peiqian Liu, Liu, Pan Gongsheng Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, AFP, Getty, Goldman, Fidelity International, People’s Bank of China, Jefferies Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, ‘, Asia, —

☆ Bike lanes are good for business
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Freaked-out business owners have been fighting bike lanes coast to coast, in cities from San Diego to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rowe compared sales taxes in these “Neighborhood Business Districts” with those in similar districts in the city that didn’t get bike lanes. In one NBD, which replaced car lanes and three parking spots with two bike lanes, sales closely tracked those in the bike-less areas, both in peaks and troughs. Sometimes nothing changed, but more often the areas near bike lanes wound up with more employees and more revenue. It’s the new normal.” All the data in the world may prove that bike lanes are good for business.

Persons: —, ”, Joseph Poirier, Nelson Nygaard, “, It’s, I’ve, Kyle Rowe, Rowe, it’s, Poirer, Jenny Liu, Wei Shi, Liu, Poirier, Shi, ” Liu, downtowns, who’s, Larisa Ortiz, ” Poirier, Adam Rogers Organizations: —, University of Washington, New York City Department of Transportation, ”, San, Portland State University, Center for Urban Studies, Portland State, Boston Globe, Automobile, Getty, Business Locations: San Diego, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bronx, ”, San Francisco, there’s, Oregon, Portland, San Francisco , Minneapolis, Memphis, Minneapolis, America’s, downtowns, United States, Chicago ; New York City, Angeles

☆ In post-Covid China, the masks are off, but Xi’s tight control is here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

2 official, who is charged with running its economy – and one more move for Xi to cement his control over the official narrative. China's Premier Li Qiang speaks during a press conference after the closing session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 13, 2023. He used his first and likely last press conference last year to highlight the prominence of the Communist Party over the state government. The axing of the premier’s press conference came alongside a shortening of the “two sessions” overall – first imposed during the pandemic to prevent the spread of Covid. Traffic slowed due to checkpoints on surrounding streets, with security officials even stopping and checking IDs of some cyclists riding on a major throughfare along the square.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, ”, Liu Dongshu, Jinping, Li Qiang, Greg Baker, Premier Li Keqiang, Xi protégé Li Qiang, Li, “, ” Li, Liu, ” Changhao Wei, Paul Tsai, presser, Tatan Organizations: Beijing CNN, of, National People’s Congress, City University of Hong, National People's Congress, Premier, Communist Party, Paul Tsai China Center of Yale Law School, National People's, AP, Communist Locations: Beijing, Communist, China, City University of Hong Kong, AFP, Hong Kong, Tiananmen

☆ Congressional probe finds communications gear in Chinese cranes, raising spying concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Some Chinese-made cranes used at US ports contain communications equipment with no clear purpose or record of their installation, according to a new congressional investigation that will heighten US concerns that the cranes could be used for surveillance or sabotage. It comes amid heightened US-China tensions over national security and as the Coast Guard last month ordered the ports to better secure the Chinese-made cranes. The modems were found “on more than one occasion” on the ZPMC cranes, the aide said. Chinese-made cranes account for nearly 80% of the cranes used at US ports, according to the Coast Guard. Having modems embedded in cranes’ operational systems “physically bypasses” the ports’ traditional IT security defenses, Ayala told CNN.

Persons: Mark Green, ZPMC, “, Liu Pengyu, ” Liu, John Vann, ” Cary Davis, ”, Biden, Marco Ayala, Ayala Organizations: CNN, Homeland Security, Coast Guard, CCP, Chinese Communist Party, ”, House Homeland Security, “, Embassy, Street Journal, Coast Guard Cyber Command, American Association of Port Authorities, U.S . Coast Guard, InfraGard National, Alliance Locations: China, Washington ,, Houston

☆ China may have to resort to a tried-and-tested tactic to power its 'new leap forward'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Liu Liqun | Corbis Documentary | Getty ImagesChina may want a "new leap forward" in "productive forces" — but President Xi Jinping may need to resort to an old tactic to hit the country's ambitious growth target this year, one economist warns. While scant on specifics, the work report appears to suggest Beijing is refraining from the aggressive, bazooka-like stimulus that some markets observers were expecting. China has historically resorted to infrastructure building as a short-term fix to boost growth, particularly after the 2008-09 financial crisis. Goldman Sachs economists said that this pledge is the "most important positive surprise" from this year's government work report. Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a speech during the opening of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2024 in Beijing, China.

Persons: Liu Liqun, Xi Jinping, Wang Dan, Wang, Erica Tan, Goldman Sachs, Li Qiang, Li, Lintao Zhang Organizations: Bund, Getty, Hang Seng Bank, CNBC, China Investment Corporation, Maybank, Seng Bank, National People's Congress, of People Locations: China, Beijing, overcapacity, Covid, Gorges

Search resuls for: "Liu"

25 mentions found