DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ An aide regularly instructs Trump allies to call him and praise him to boost his spirits, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump has an aide who directs allies to call and praise the ex-president, The Washington Post reported. Trump drew criticism recently when he had dinner with Kanye West and a white nationalist activist. Molly Michael, a former White House assistant, will tell the people to call Trump when "there's nothing going on," the report said. According to The Post, Trump also has an aide who will follow him around on the golf course reading out positive news articles or social-media posts. The situation mirrors that when Trump was president, where Trump steadily moved away from allies who tried to moderate his impulses and instead chose those who went along with his impulses.

☆ NYPD searching for suspect who said 'Kanye 2024' during antisemitic attack inside Central Park
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Yasmeen Persaud | Doha Madani | Doha Madani Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. Pronouns | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The New York Police Department is asking for tips after a suspect assaulted a 63-year-old man in Central Park last week. At about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, a man hit the 63-year-old in the back of the head after making antisemitic remarks, police said. Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, has recently made a string of public comments amplifying antisemitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories. Police are looking for a man wanted in connection with an anti-Semitic attack in Central Park in New York. The assault occurred at the intersection of East Drive and Terrace Drive, a short walk east of the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park.

☆ Donald Trump failed to mention dinner he had with 'racist antisemites' but still got standing ovations from conference of Orthodox Jews: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump spoke at a conference of Orthodox Jews on Friday. Conference attendees responded with multiple standing ovations, according to AP. Trump failed to mention a dinner in November with Ye and Nick Fuentes, who have both spewed antisemitic hate. Attendees of the annual President's Conference of Torah Umesorah at Trump's National Doral resort in Miami, Florida, responded to his remarks with several standing ovations, according to AP. During his address to the Orthodox Jewish conference, Trump referencing his past remarks on antisemitism from his own 2019 State of the Union address led to standing ovations, according to AP.

☆ Even Steve Bannon thinks Trump's NFT sale is stupid, and called for everyone involved to be fired
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Steve Bannon ridiculed Donald Trump's NFT announcement Thursday. Trump posted a picture of himself in a superhero costume in announcing the NFT release. Bannon said that the people who put together the Trump launch need to be fired. The announcement drew mockery and derision, even from usually steadfast allies such as Bannon, a far-right podcaster and former Trump advisor. "Whoever told Trump to do this should be fired," Keith and Kevin Hodge, two Trump-supporting comedians said on Twitter.

☆ Trump teases 'major announcement' that ended up being 'Donald Trump Digital Trading Card' NFTs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Madison Hall | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former President Donald Trump teased a major announcement on Wednesday on Truth Social. On Thursday, he revealed it to be the sale of NFT digital trading cards with his image emblazoned on each one. The NFTs aren't owned, managed, or controlled by Trump or the Trump Organization. And on Thursday, the former president made the big reveal: a series of digital trading card NFTs, each selling for $99. "This is Donald Trump, hopefully, your favorite president of all time.

☆ Fight for control of the RNC turns heated as some members demand change
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

CNN —Shortly before announcing her campaign against Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel, Harmeet Dhillon, a well-connected conservative attorney, phoned an important ally to solicit his thoughts. Republican voters and local officials have bombarded committee members with emails and calls about the party’s next chair, often berating them directly for the GOP’s underwhelming performance in the midterms, according to four committee members who requested anonymity to describe their experience. During the same period, her law firm received nearly $900,000 from the RNC, federal election data shows. We are all independent thinkers, and we know what’s best for our states,” said Jeff Kent, a committee member from Washington. “It’s very hard to beat an incumbent RNC chair if that incumbent wants to stay,” said Bill Palatucci, a New Jersey committeeman.

☆ Why voters don’t want Biden or Trump but might get them anyway in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Even as President Joe Biden and ex-President Donald Trump move toward a rerun of the most turbulent White House race in modern history, many voters are pining for a break from the past – and the present. A new CNN/SSRS poll shows that 6 in 10 Republicans and GOP-leaning independents want their party to nominate someone other than Trump in 2024. A Biden versus Trump race would raise questions over whether a bitterly polarized political system, where democracy itself is at stake, has lost the capacity for self-renewal that has always been an American strength. The CNN poll shows Biden on an upward trajectory and in a better position in his party than Trump is in his. The question of his age, however, might be less important if Biden faces Trump, who is already 76.

☆ Kevin McCarthy's impossible GOP math
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is far from assured of winning sufficient support in his party to become House speaker next month. The tiny GOP House majority that takes over in January, after a disappointing midterm performance, would mean a fragile governing mandate for any party at any point in American history. McCarthy’s impossible mathFrom a broader political perspective, it might be in McCarthy’s interest to stand up to the most extreme members of his conference. The path to the GOP majority went through comparatively moderate seats in places like New York that will be most at risk in the 2024 election. But it also reflected Greene’s growing personal power, after she broke with some radical GOP members and lined up to support McCarthy’s speakership.

☆ Trump, Kanye West, and Nick Fuentes pushing antisemitism to the forefront of the GOP could pull the Christian nationalist movement apart
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But they also exposed a darker side of Christian nationalism that was always there, experts say. Americans who support Christian nationalist ideas may not identify as Christian nationalists. Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at IUPUI and co-author of "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," has found similar connections between Christian nationalism and antisemitism. Additional research has also found close connections between Christian nationalism, antisemitism, QAnon followers, and supporters of Trump. Greene has said the GOP should be the party of Christian nationalism and even sells merch adorned with the term.

☆ A freelancer is suing Kanye West's Yeezy brand, claiming she was only paid $15,000 of a $110,000 fee for a photoshoot
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A freelance creative director is suing Kanye West's Yeezy brand, claiming she is owed $95,000. Katelyn Mooney says she agreed a $110,000 fee for work she carried out, but has only been paid $15,000. The complaint states Mooney had to take out a loan to cover her rent due to the late payment. The complaint states that Yeezy had not complained about Mooney's work or the final product, but had since only paid her $15,000 of the $110,000 fee she had agreed on with Yeezy employees via text messages. West's Yeezy brand has been plagued with controversy in recent months.

☆ Twitter hasn't decided if Ye's exile from the platform is permanent, new safety chief says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter's new safety chief told The Wall Street Journal that Ye's return to the platform is uncertain. Since Elon Musk's takeover, it's been unclear how content moderation decisions are made at Twitter. At the time, Musk said that he decided to kick Ye off the site and shared text messages in which he told Ye, "you have gone too far. The notion of policing speech on the platform has vexed Musk, who at one point indicated plans to enlist a "content moderation council" to advise on decisions. Despite that proclamation, Musk brought back former President Donald Trump onto the platform after conducting a Twitter poll, rather than consulting such a council.

☆ Michael Cohen says Donald Trump 'doesn't care' that Ivanka's family is Jewish and he will not denounce Kanye West's antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Michael Cohen said that Donald Trump won't apologize for failing to condemn Kanye West. The former president "doesn't care" that his daughter's family is Jewish, Cohen said on MSNBC. Cohen was asked about a Rolling Stone article that said Jewish Republicans are "begging" Trump to denounce Ye. Cohen responded: "He doesn't care that Ivanka married Jared, doesn't care that Ivanka converted. Cohen said Trump would not apologize for failing to condemn Ye because he "can't even acknowledge fault."

☆ Elon Musk says his politics are in the center but extremism experts say he's using Twitter to increasingly empower right-wing viewpoints
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Elon Musk has been weighing in more and more on political issues since buying Twitter. "Any argument that he's trying to empower the center is patently bullshit," a researcher on extremism told Insider. "In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party," Musk wrote in a tweet this May. "Any argument that he's trying to empower the center is patently bullshit and should be treated as such." "The way that Twitter's content moderation has changed since he's taken over has definitely skewed towards favoring the far-right," Berger said.

Jewish and anti-hate organizations are urging social media influencers and tech platforms to stop hosting interviews with Ye, the rapper and artist formerly known as Kanye West, as he’s continued to make antisemitic statements and criticize Jewish people in his recent public appearances. Ross, a popular Twitch streamer with 7 million followers, is Jewish and said that he was going to “stand up for the Jews” in the interview. On Dec. 5, political streamer Hasan Piker said in a Twitch stream that he may participate in the interview. Rez said that even if Ross planned to challenge Ye, she would be concerned that the interview would stoke antisemitic violence. Ross has been silent on the topic of the Ye interview since the call with Fuentes was published.

☆ Trump attacks Jewish leaders for 'lack of loyalty' amid fallout from controversial dinner with 'deranged antisemite' Kanye West and white supremacist Nick Fuente
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump accused Jewish leaders of a lack of loyalty and claimed he was the best president for Israel. Trump has been widely criticized for having dinner with Nick Fuentes and Ye, who have made antisemitic comments. "How quickly Jewish Leaders forgot that I was the best, by far, President for Israel," Trump wrote. Trump, whose daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner are Jewish, has previously been called out for using antisemitic tropes himself. Since the dinner with Trump, Ye has made even more explicitly antisemitic comments, including saying that he likes Hitler and denying the Holocaust.

☆ Trump's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad campaign kickoff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Trump pledged when he launched his 2024 campaign that "America's comeback starts right now." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also said Trump's actions make him less likely to be the party's nominee. Trump endorsed Florida Sen. Rick Scott in the contest, but McConnell handily defeated Scott, another sign of Trump's slipping hold on the Republican Party. The DA's office notched a huge victory this week when a jury convicted the Trump Organization of nine tax-fraud counts. US District Judge Beryl Howell has not made a final decision on the request to hold Trump's team in contempt of court, according to The Post.

☆ Kanye West's Yeezy Apparel fashion company owes $600,000 in unpaid tax to California with notices dating back two years, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The state of California has issued multiple tax notices to Yeezy Apparel, according to NBC News. Yeezy Apparel previously paid the LA district attorney a $950,000 settlement for false advertising. Over the last two years, the state has issued multiple tax liens – legal claims for unpaid debts – against Yeezy Apparel, NBC reported. Yeezy Apparel is a fashion design and merchandising business which started in 2017, according to public business records. But tax-law experts told NBC that the tax notices indicate big problems at Yeezy Apparel.

☆ Adidas needs Yeezy-like designs to thrive, but many sneakerheads say they're done with the brand
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In a note, Cowen analysts said Adidas has "a path forward" in selling popular shoes without Yeezy. Some sneakerheads will give Adidas' new offerings a chance, while others plan to skip the releases. "Our checks suggest there is demand for Yeezy-like designs among the sneaker community, despite clear reputational risk, and we expect management to launch new styles without Yeezy branding," Cowen analysts said. Cowen analysts estimated Adidas also has several million units of Yeezy inventory in warehouses. The company has lost over $1 billion in annual profit in the region since 2019, Cowen analysts said.

Biden had been hopeful that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be more apt to free Griner once America’s midterm elections were done, a calculation that proved correct. Still detained in Russia is Paul Whelan, a businessman whom the White House has also been working to free without success. In a 2012 interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” when he was vice president, Biden came out in favor of same-sex marriage, and he is expected to sign the measure into law. White House officials acknowledged the headwinds and worried that the midterm elections would be a repudiation of Biden’s record. “When I look at what the Biden White House has done, I think experience and patience really paid off,” said Jennifer Palmieri, who served as White House communications director during the Obama administration.

☆ Trump's former White House economic adviser says he doesn't understand what his old boss is doing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Larry Kudlow said former President Donald Trump was damaging his own support levels. He highlighted Trump calling for the "termination" of the Constitution and controversial meetings. "I don't understand what our former boss is doing," Kudlow said, speaking with Trump's former counselor Kellyanne Conway. Kudlow also said that Trump was too focused on claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. "His meddling and insistence that the 2020 election was stolen will deliver more losses," Bolton added.

☆ 'We cannot normalize this': Doug Emhoff leads White House roundtable to combat antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Peter Nicholas | Peter Nicholas Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“Antisemitism is dangerous,” said Emhoff, the nation’s first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president. Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff during a roundtable about the rise of antisemitism in Washington on Wednesday. President Joe Biden has proposed raising that sum to $360 million in the coming year for the 2023 fiscal year. Conference speakers drew a link between antisemitism and another scourge that the Biden administration wants to confront: threats to democracy. “Antisemitism is the death knell of democracy,” said Deborah Lipstadt, a Holocaust scholar and the Biden administration’s special envoy to combat and monitor antisemitism.

The records, a series of state tax lien notices from the last two years, show the state of California claiming that Yeezy Apparel, a company managed and reportedly owned by Ye, owes over $600,000 in unpaid tax debt. Four tax law experts said the amount owed by Yeezy Apparel is significant and could be a sign of deeper issues at the company. “Multiple California tax liens, adding up to $600,000, that’s certainly a sign of either extreme incompetence or extreme cash problems,” said USC Gould School of Law Professor Edward McCaffery, who specializes in tax law. Yeezy Apparel has been operating in California since 2017, according to public California business records, and was recorded as being active and in “good” standing in an annual filing in January. “Tax lien indicates that the state maintains that a debt is owing to the state,” LoPucki said.

☆ New York man charged with hate crime after allegedly targeting Jewish father and son in BB gun attack, police say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A New York man was arrested and charged on Tuesday after allegedly firing a BB gun at a Jewish father and son who were out grocery shopping over the weekend, police said. Jason Kish, 25, of Staten Island, was charged with assault as a hate crime, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and assault in connection with the incident, which unfolded on Sunday afternoon, the New York City Police Department said. The victims, a 32-year-old father and his 7-year-old son, had been standing in front of a Kosher grocery store on Staten Island and were wearing yarmulkes when they were hit with BB gun pellets on Sunday afternoon, the NYPD said. Staten Island Shomrim Safety PatrolThe boy can be seen grabbing his ear as he appears to be struck by a BB gun pellet, as the father appears to turn around to see what happened. On Tuesday, the precinct announced that the suspect wanted for the BB gun assault had been apprehended.

☆ Trump-backed Walker loses: Three takeaways from Georgia U.S. Senate runoff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker gives a concession speech during his election night party after losing the U.S. midterm runoff election to Democratic U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock beat Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a Georgia runoff election that fortified Democrats' Senate majority and handed the Republican Party another bitter loss to cap a disappointing midterm election season. Trump held two rallies for Walker in Georgia, but did not come to the state for the runoff, only phoning in to boost supporters on Monday night. That forced uncomfortable congressional Republicans to respond to Trump's statements in the days before the runoff election, pulling the focus from Walker's candidacy. At one rally prior to the runoff, Walker publicly mused about whether a werewolf could kill a vampire.

☆ Political experts don't think the Trump Org's felony status is enough to kill Donald Trump's chances in 2024: 'At some point, the Republican party has to decide how much they're willing to overlook'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But experts don't think the conviction is enough to tamp down his chances in the 2024 election. "But at some point, the Republican party has to decide how much they're willing to overlook before they just cut him loose," Crouse said. "That's not really a logical analysis, that's more a poetic analysis, but I think it does have symbolic significance in that sense." "Even though [Trump] wasn't a defendant, it's at his feet, and it can be portrayed that way by his enemies both inside the Republican party and outside the Republican party," O'Brien added. "And I think that's going to weaken his candidacy" in 2024, especially as his hold on the GOP is challenged by a potential presidential hopeful: Florida Gov.

Search resuls for: "kanye"

25 mentions found