DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

“Personalities come and go,” said Dave Ball, the GOP chair in Pennsylvania’s Washington County, who has supported and defended Trump. Trump is preparing to do just that, with a Tuesday announcement expected at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In Illinois, Republicans had threatened to take two state Supreme Court seats and flip state Senate and House seats. In Pennsylvania, GOP leaders had hoped to at least hold on to the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Pat Toomey. Trump lost the state by narrow margins in 2016 and 2020.

☆ The tech firms laying off hordes of staff right now will regret it, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Major tech firms including Alphabet, Meta, Snap, and Twitter have laid off staff or frozen hires. But layoffs take the sheen off big tech firms' brand image, two tech execs told Insider. Tech firms that are slashing jobs and laying off staff are making a "major mistake" because future candidates will remember how those organizations acted during the downturn, tech and hiring execs say. "You're cutting your investment in future technology, that's number one. Instead of taking a hardline cutting and savings approach, tech firms should refocus on retaining loyal employees and cultivating talent.

☆ ‘The Future Is Female’ by Sarah Cahill and ‘She/Her/Hers’ by Lara St. John Review: Welcoming Women Into the Canon
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Allan Kozinn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New-music fans have argued for decades that the classical-music canon needs to be reconsidered, if only because refusing to revamp it means transforming a vibrant, living art into a calcified museum culture. Lately, the discussion has expanded beyond new music, as musicians have started to consider other music excluded from the once-sacrosanct canon, particularly music by women and composers from all but a few European countries.

PITTSBURGH — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are at the moment their parties’ leading candidates for 2024. But more competitive midterm contests appear poised to inject a host of new prospects into the 2024 conversation for both parties. That governors would already find themselves in the 2024 spotlight comes as little surprise to political observers. “Governors get s--- done, right?” Shapiro said in a recent interview after batting away questions about his own future ambitions. Jared Leopold, a Democratic strategist who formerly worked at the Democratic Governors Association, said Biden is and will remain Democrats’ top choice in 2024.

☆ ‘Revolver Special Edition’ Review: The Beatles’ Best
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Allan Kozinn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Until about a decade ago, it was generally agreed that “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967) was the Beatles’ creative peak, with “Abbey Road” (1969) a close runner-up. But in recent years, “Revolver,” released in August 1966, has started to eclipse “Sgt. Pepper,” not only as a fan favorite, but also as the band’s most innovative album. The new “Revolver Special Edition,” released by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe on Oct. 28, makes a solid case for that reconsideration.

Gretchen Whitmer defeated Republican challenger Tudor Dixon on Tuesday, securing her bid for re-election and keeping a Democrat atop the critical swing state, NBC News projects. But Whitmer held on, boosted by tens of millions of dollars in ad spending that Dixon, a former right-wing commentator endorsed by former President Donald Trump, never matched. Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Whitmer, who made the shortlist as Joe Biden searched for a running mate in 2020, has been the subject of future White House speculation. Despite Michigan's swing-state status, Republicans were slow to invest there and never caught up with the other side's spending.

The barrage helped Oz climb back into a race that Fetterman had led all summer — by double digits, according to at least two polls. Fetterman, whose speech and auditory processing were affected by his stroke, agreed to only one debate, on Oct. 25. His struggles were apparent, stoking alarm the next day among Democrats who worried the performance would scare away voters. Mehmet Oz takes part in a forum for Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidates in Camp Hill, Pa. on Apr. “My wife wants some vegetables for crudité,” Oz said, picking out broccoli, asparagus, carrots, guacamole and salsa for the platter of raw vegetables and dips.

[1/14] A voter waits in line to cast their ballot during the midterm elections, in McAllen, Texas, U.S., November 8, 2022. REUTERS/Callaghan O'HarePHOENIX, Ariz./BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Nov 8 (Reuters) - Republicans were favored to wrest control of the U.S. House of Representatives away from President Joe Biden's Democrats based on early returns in Tuesday's midterm elections, though the prospects of a "red wave" appeared to have dimmed. But importantly, that number can change as close to 200 of the 435 House races had yet to be called, including some with vulnerable Republican incumbents. But even a narrow Republican House majority would be able to block Biden's priorities while launching politically damaging investigations into his administration and family. (Live election results from around the country are here.)

Democrat Josh Shapiro defeated far-right Republican Doug Mastriano in the Pennsylvania governor’s race on Tuesday, NBC News projected, providing Democrats with a significant victory in a contest where oversight of the 2024 election and abortion rights took center stage. ET, Shapiro held a lead of more than 13 points over Mastriano. Speaking to reporters on his campaign bus last week, Shapiro said Mastriano “is by far the most extreme and dangerous person to ever run for public office in Pennsylvania. Mastriano said his position on abortion was irrelevant because abortion laws are ultimately up to the state Legislature. Elected to the state Senate in 2019, Mastriano rose to prominence after the 2020 election when Trump sought allies in state Legislatures to help him reverse his loss.

The race is a must-win for Democrats to have any hope of retaining control of the House. It’s one where, on the whole, it might edge Democratic looking at the district but with no incumbent, a pretty well-funded Republican and a good cycle. It makes me mad.”In an interview ahead of the rally with Oz rally in suburban Pittsburgh, Shaffer said Deluzio was “desperate” because his campaign has gained some momentum in the final weeks. As for why the area has become such a significant swing district, Rothfus cited its economic and geographic importance. “It’s the crossroads of a huge section of the country, right between the Midwest and the Northeast,” he said.

☆ Kenya Airways to dump bargaining deals with pilots, letter shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Industry Insight | Reuters Professional | Regenerative Agriculture Seen As Answer To Averting Africa'S Growing Food Crisis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Kenya Airways pilots attend a court session after the association's management was summoned for contempt of a court order declaring as illegal the ongoing strike of Kenya Airways pilots, organised by KALPA, at the Milimani Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya, November 8, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah MwangiNAIROBI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Kenya Airways (KQNA.NR) plans to cancel its bargaining and recognition agreements with its pilots union, saying their current strike is unlawful and it amounts to economic sabotage. Members of the Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) — a union that represents about 400 pilots at the carrier - went on strike on Saturday after failing to resolve a dispute over their pensions contributions and settlement of deferred pay. The carrier, which is one of the biggest in Africa, wants to withdraw from its collective bargaining agreement with the union, a letter by signed by its CEO Allan Kilavuka showed on Tuesday. "We hereby give notice by KQ (Kenya Airways) of its immediate withdrawal from the existing recognition agreement and the collective bargaining agreement with KALPA," the company said in the letter.

“We’ve got to unite,” Oz said at a rally Friday in Wexford, a suburb north of Pittsburgh. Democrats see his message as blatant hypocrisy considering he is backed by former President Donald Trump and has campaigned with him. “Uhhhh will he refuse to campaign with Mastriano + Trump this weekend then?? He has mostly kept Mastriano at arm’s length while rarely mentioning Trump, instead focusing on crime, inflation and undocumented immigration. “As much as I loved Trump as president, he’s pushed the other party so far away.”

Democrat Seth Magaziner defeated Republican Allan Fung in Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District. Rhode Island's 2nd District is located in the western region of the state. Democrat Seth Magaziner defeated Republican Allan Fung in Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District, which is located in the western region of the state. In 2008, he was elected as mayor of Cranston, becoming Rhode Island's first Asian-American mayor. Voting history for Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional DistrictRhode Island's 2nd Congressional District is located in the western region of the state and includes Providence, the capital and most populous city in the state, and New Shoreham, located in Block Island, south of mainland Rhode Island.

Efforts to investigate the 2020 election and institute changes to the state’s election procedures — the promises that helped propel DePerno onto the political map and won him former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. In Arizona, GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake has repeatedly called the 2020 election “rigged” and “stolen” during the primary only to spend most of the general election talking about immigration, education, the economy and crime. After trailing in earlier polling, both Lake and Masters appeared neck-and-neck with their opponents in the campaign’s final days. Doug Mastriano, the GOP nominee who was outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 and whose campaign paid to bus people to the pro-Trump protest that proceeded the riot, has kept the 2020 election near the forefront of his campaign. “It’s people like her,” Whitmer said of Dixon, who has baselessly raised doubts about the 2020 election results, “who are the greatest threat to our democracy right now.”Dixon has defended her use of such rhetoric.

As a result, political observers say, public school funding is effectively on the ballot Tuesday. “These groups have been demonizing what is being taught in public schools, and that’s the fastest way to erode faith that public schools work,” Rottinghaus said. (Abbott publicly came out in support of private school vouchers two months after winning the primary with 66.5% of the vote.) Greg Abbott in the GOP primary, campaigned in support of private school vouchers. “I will never support vouchers.”Rep. John Bucy III said he will continue to oppose private school vouchers.

John Fetterman, the Democratic Senate nominee, along with Democratic candidates in local House races on the University of Pittsburgh's campus. Former President Barack Obama speaks to supporters of Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Democratic Pennsylvania Senate nominee John Fetterman speaks to supporters on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on Saturday. Jeff Swensen / Getty ImagesOz, Obama said, would be a vote for Trump in case of another close election in 2024. Oz, Trump said, is "desperately" needed in the Senate where "he could very well be the tie-breaking vote."

HONG KONG — After mass unrest in 2019, a pandemic that left it isolated from the world and the imposition of a national security law that has crushed dissent, Hong Kong is ready to turn the page. According to government statistics, about 319,000 people arrived in Hong Kong last month, down 97% from 10.8 million in October 2019. According to one report last month, Hong Kong has lost its status as Asia’s top financial center to Singapore. While it may not be realistic to expect businesses to turn away from China’s huge market, global business leaders “need to recognize that there’s a new situation in Hong Kong, there’s a new reality,” said Brian Kern, the lead researcher for a report on doing business in Hong Kong that was published last month by the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a nonprofit group based in Washington. Lee also pointed to a report in September in which Hong Kong topped Singapore as the world’s freest economy.

Kathy O’Neil, 68, told NBC News at a campaign stop in Erie that she felt Shapiro has "done so much for us." His support from law enforcement, including the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police — two groups that have endorsed Oz in the Senate race — stood out to her, too. (Mastriano, 58, has said Shapiro has a “grudge” against the church, while some Catholic organizations believe Shapiro went too far). To take on Shapiro, Mastriano has struggled greatly to raise money and draw financial support from outside Republican groups to boost his campaign. During a campaign stop in Clarion, Shapiro pledged to advocate for "forgotten" parts of the state.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, local election officials became frequent targets of supporters of former President Donald Trump who supported his false claims of election fraud. Election officials also said that the courts could inject chaos into the process if results are contested for weeks following the vote. Droves of election workers throughout Georgia quit their positions following the 2020 election. And in Pennsylvania, nearly 50 top election officials have left their post within the past two years. “Election workers and election officials leave or stop coming in, more errors can occur as a result, which in turn can fuel disinformation,” he said.

☆ Midterm elections will be big market catalyst in near term, says Momentum's Allan Boomer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | 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 EmailMidterm elections will be big market catalyst in near term, says Momentum's Allan BoomerAllan Boomer, Momentum Advisors managing partner, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss how the midterms effect the markets and opportunities investors can find now.

☆ Shopify's new C-suite: After a year of high turnover, the new leaders at Shopify include a CFO poached from Morgan Stanley and a new HR lead who is working to overhaul the e-commerce company's perform
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Here are the people leading the e-commerce company through its next phase. Leinwand was previously senior vice president of engineering at Slack, and before that he was CTO at ServiceNow. Tia Silas, chief human resources officerTia Silas, Shopify's chief talent officer. John Asante, chief information-security officerJohn Asante, Shopify's chief information-security officer. Bobby Morrison, chief revenue officerMorrison joined Shopify as chief revenue officer — a new role for Shopify, reporting to the COO — in August.

And the House Democrats’ campaign arm last week deployed hundreds of thousands of dollars to save its chairman in a Biden district north of New York City. “And I think that right there explains why this red wave is going to be so big.”The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm for House Democrats, said it isn't throwing in the towel. “Nearly a week from Election Day, House Democrats are well positioned to retain the majority despite a Republican gerrymandered map and MAGA Republicans’ dark money-fueled campaigns. Connecticut’s 5th District: Democrats have already spent $4.5 million to re-elect Hayes in a district that backed Biden 54.6% to Trump's 43.9% in the last election. Between now and Election Day, Democrats said they plan to spend an additional $1.5 million in ads to combat comparable spending by Republicans.

Anyone on his team who agreed to a debate should be fired, or never work again, because that debate may have tanked his campaign,” said Chris Kofinis, a veteran Democratic campaign strategist. John Fetterman, the Democratic Senate nominee in Pennsylvania, debates Republican challenger Mehmet Oz on Tuesday. And Fetterman’s campaign, eager to project strength, said Wednesday that it had raised $2 million since the debate ended“There’s always second-guessing,” Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said on MSNBC Wednesday. Fetterman’s debate performance took some Republicans by surprise, too. But another top Pennsylvania Democrat, who believes Fetterman’s debate performance was devastating and requested anonymity to offer candid thoughts on the party’s nominee, fears the race is over.

☆ Win at Tottenham underlines Newcastle's transformation under Howe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - October 23, 2022 Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe shakes hands with Sean Longstaff after the match Action Images via Reuters/Paul ChildsLONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - As transformations go, Newcastle United's under Eddie Howe takes some beating. After 12 games last season, shortly after Howe had replaced Steve Bruce, Newcastle were bottom of the standings on six points with the only target being Premier League survival. Fast forward to Sunday and a thoroughly-deserved 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur, where they lost 5-1 last season, sent Newcastle into fourth place with 21 points from 12 games in which they have lost only once. "That was the key moment in the game for me," Howe told reporters. "We didn't just drop deep and go into protection mode, we remained involved in the game as an attacking threat."

☆ Rhode Island’s Allan Fung Tries to Blaze Trail for GOP in Deep-Blue Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Republican Allan Fung gestured toward Democrat Seth Magaziner during a debate Tuesday between the two candidates vying for a House seat representing Rhode Island. CRANSTON, R.I.—Republicans’ efforts to expand their House map and win over voters in unfriendly Democratic territory hinge on candidates such as Allan Fung , who casts himself as a moderate in a Trump-dominated party. Mr. Fung, the former mayor of Cranston, south of Providence, criticizes President Biden and Democrats for their spending programs, saying they have fueled inflation, while accusing the party of not doing enough to fight rising costs. But unlike many Republicans, he opposes federal abortion restrictions and has shunned former President Donald Trump’s “America First” brand of conservatism, speaking instead of finding bipartisan solutions to voters’ problems.

Search resuls for: "Allan"

25 mentions found