DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

The most chilling moment in Gerard Johnstone’s new horror film, “M3GAN,” comes early. Its wildly popular — and immediately viral — trailer seems to give away the entire story, beat by beat, but what it can’t convey is the picture’s delightfully oddball tone, which is poised at a peculiar juncture of slasher horror and self-aware satire. Gemma, dressed in flannels, so you know she’s an antisocial nerd, has developed M3GAN, short for Model 3 Generative ANdroid. As a character, M3GAN is a marvel of design, combining body actor (Amie Donald), voice (Jenna Davis), animatronics, makeup and special effects. (“Humanity kills every day, just to make its existence more bearable,” M3GAN cackles, presumably after doing some online reading about Apple and Foxconn’s Longhua facility.)

WASHINGTON — George Santos, the 34-year-old New York Republican who's confessed to lying about part of his background, was sworn into the House early Saturday amid several investigations into his campaign and calls for him to resign. Santos officially took office when the new Congress was convened after Republicans finally elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as House speaker. And despite presenting himself as Jewish during his congressional campaigns, Santos told the Post, "I never claimed to be Jewish." Several House Democrats have criticized Santos, but none more than Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, who's taken to trolling Santos on social media. Former Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who recently retired from Congress, said Sunday that Santos should consider resigning.

☆ A new test for autism hopes to help doctors diagnose before symptoms show
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Researchers have discovered myriad risk factors associated with autism, including infections during pregnancy, air pollution and maternal stress. “We can detect the clear rhythm of autism with just about one centimeter of hair,” Arora said. Autism diagnosis timingArora and his team hope their technology could help young children, even newborns, receive early interventions for autism sooner than they can now. “We want to enable early intervention.”There is not yet a biological test for autism spectrum disorder. Perhaps eventually, that information could open up new pathways for the development of drugs or therapies for autism, he said.

☆ Funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict seals a contradictory legacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Donna B. Doucette | Donna B. Doucette Has Been The Executive Director Of Voice Of The Faithful Since She Also Serves On The Leadership Team Of The Association Of U.S. Catholic Priests. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

It’s as if Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who is being laid to rest Thursday in Vatican City, has two legacies instead of one. Despite this promise and the potential for transparency, Benedict continued the church’s centuries-old preference for handling abuse cases privately. Benedict, for example, was the first pope to acknowledge the crimes of clergy sexual abuse and attempt to make amends institutionally. We quickly grew to a worldwide presence as the scope of the clergy abuse problem became apparent. Perhaps, using the contradictions and collisions of Benedict’s work, the Spirit has set in motion the 21st century path of the Catholic Church, which Pope Francis is calling us to embrace: synodality.

☆ Pope Emeritus Benedict in stable condition and participates in Mass
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“At present his condition is stationary.”On Wednesday, Pope Francis revealed that his 95-year-old predecessor was “very ill” and he went to see him in his home in the Vatican Gardens. Francis called for prayers for Benedict, resulting in an outpouring of messages of solidarity from rank-and-file Catholics and cardinals alike. On Friday evening, the cardinal vicar of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, celebrated a special Mass for Benedict in St. John in Lateran Basilica. Referring to Benedict’s nearly 10 years in retirement from the papacy, De Donatis said that the pope emeritus “even in old age, and in illness, continues to sustain humanity totally offering oneself.”The pope emeritus was “in profound communion with Pope Francis,” the cardinal said. At the end of Mass, De Donatis said the faithful were entrusting “our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to the maternal care” of Jesus’ mother, “because she has promised to be near to her children in the moment of trial.”

On TikTok, parents are sharing a physical change they didn't anticipate after conceiving: pregnancy nose. The pregnancy nose videos are simple: They juxtapose a person's image before becoming pregnant with images of their swollen noses afterward. Pregnancy nose is the latest to capture the platform's interest. She herself experienced pregnancy nose. Another user stated, "Talk about pregnancy nose...

Mr. Santos, 34 years old, won a New York seat that had previously been held by a Democrat and is set to be sworn into Congress on Jan. 3. The district attorney of Nassau County, N.Y., said Wednesday her office is investigating Mr. Santos. Mr. Santos has said he was born in Queens, N.Y., to Brazilian parents and has dual U.S.-Brazilian citizenship. He said his father’s parents were Brazilian and his mother’s family was Jewish and had fled persecution in Europe. Mr. Santos has said that his understanding of his maternal grandparents’ history and religion came from family stories.

George Santos, the congressman-elect from New York who's admitted to "embellishing" his résumé, is being investigated by a New York prosecutor. "The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-Elect Santos are nothing short of stunning. He said his work included “specialty consulting” for “high net worth individuals.” Santos' company was dissolved in September, which Santos told Semafor was the result of his accountant's turning in late paperwork. In an interview Monday with the New York Post, Santos acknowledged having fabricated details about his background, saying: “My sins here are embellishing my resume. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was ‘Jew-ish,’” he said.

Anne Donnelly, the district attorney for Nassau County, said the allegations that have surfaced in recent days regarding Santos were serious. "The numerous fabrications and inconsistencies associated with Congressman-Elect Santos are nothing short of stunning," Donnelly, a Republican, said in a statement. But reporting by the New York Times and other media outlets in recent weeks called into question almost every element of Santos' life story. Among other claims, Santos said he had degrees from New York University and Baruch College, despite neither institution having any record of him attending. In recent days, Santos has apologized for "embellishing" his resume, while defending aspects of the way he had represented himself.

☆ Congressman-elect George Santos faces increasing calls to resign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Jo Yurcaba | Jo Yurcaba Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Congressman-elect George Santos is facing increasing calls to resign following admissions that he fabricated parts of his resumé, including information about his education and employment history. “I’m not saying I’m not guilty of that.”Congressman-elect George Santos speaks during a press conference in Baldwin, N.Y. on Nov. 9, 2022. NBC News attempted to reach George Santos overnight but has not yet received a response. Public employment records only show one employer for Santos’ mother: Imports by Rose, a company based in Queens that shuttered in 1994. When asked about Santos’ claims regarding his mother, Santos’ attorney, Joseph Murray, referred NBC News to Kevin Connors, whom Murray said would be handling Santos’ press inquiries.

☆ N.Y. Rep.-elect Santos admits lying about career, college
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Rep.-elect George Santos, R-N.Y., admitted Monday that he lied about his job experience and college education during his successful campaign for a seat in the U.S. House. In an interview with the New York Post, Santos said: “My sins here are embellishing my resume. The Queens resident had said he had obtained a degree from Baruch College in New York, but the school said that couldn’t be confirmed. Another news outlet, the Jewish American site The Forward, had questioned a claim on Santos’ campaign website that his grandparents “fled Jewish persecution in Ukraine, settled in Belgium, and again fled persecution during WWII.”“I never claimed to be Jewish,” Santos told the Post. He ran again in 2022 and won in the district that includes some Long Island suburbs and a small part of Queens.

☆ Republican Jewish Coalition Says George Santos Misrepresented Heritage
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Natalie Andrews | Arian Campo-Flores | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rep.-elect George Santos, who had embraced both a Jewish and Catholic identity on the campaign trail, told reporters this week he never said he was Jewish. The Republican Jewish Coalition has said it wouldn’t invite congressman-elect George Santos to any future events, citing what the influential group said were misrepresentations about his Jewish heritage, a day after Mr. Santos admitted that significant parts of his biography weren’t accurate. Mr. Santos had embraced both a Jewish and Catholic identity in published interviews and at events, and his campaign website stated his maternal grandparents fled Jewish persecution in Europe during World War II. He referred to himself as a “proud American Jew” in a campaign document. Recent media reports had raised questions about his personal and family history.

☆ NY Rep.-elect Santos admits lying about career, college
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rep.-elect George Santos, R-N.Y., admitted Monday that he lied about his job experience and college education during his successful campaign for a seat in the U.S. House. Rep.-elect George Santos, R-N.Y., admitted Monday that he lied about his job experience and college education during his successful campaign for a seat in the U.S. House. In an interview with the New York Post, Santos said: "My sins here are embellishing my resume. Santos told the Post he had "never worked directly" for either financial firm, saying he had used a "poor choice of words." "I never claimed to be Jewish," Santos told the Post.

☆ Congressman-elect George Santos admits to lying about key details of his background, including work history to college education
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rep.-elect George Santos told The New York Post he fabricated key details about his credentials. Santos lied about working for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and graduating from Baruch College. The New York Times investigation revealed that Baruch College had no record of Santos as a student. "I never claimed to be Jewish," Santos told The Post, saying that his grandmother, "told stories about being Jewish" before converting to Catholicism. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background I said I was 'Jew-ish.'"

☆ Incoming GOP congressman George Santos reportedly lied about his employment, his education, losing four employees in the Pulse shooting, his residence, and his religious background
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

An incoming GOP congressman from Long Island has several gaps in his resume, according to news reports. Santos has begun to address the falsehoods in interviews with the New York Post and City & State New York. But representatives from the school told the Times they had no record of his enrollment, despite searching multiple variations of his name. Santos has said that he never claimed to be Jewish, just "Jew-ish," despite describing himself as a "proud American Jew" during his campaign. The Republican Jewish Coalition now says he lied to them.

☆ Embattled Republican Santos faces new heat over 'Jew-ish' heritage claim
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Republican Jewish Coalition said Santos would not be welcome at the group's future events after misleading its members about his ties to their faith. Santos has vowed to serve out his two-year term in Congress, and House Republican leaders have been silent about the controversy. Because I learned my maternal family had a Jewish background, I said I was 'Jew-ish'," the Post quoted him as saying. I'm sorry," Santos told the Post on Monday. "I am not a criminal here - not here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction in the world," Santos told the Post.

☆ Republican Jewish Coalition says Congressman-elect George Santos 'personally' lied to them about being Jewish
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A GOP Jewish group says Santos lied to them about being Jewish. Santos, for his part, claimed on Monday that he had only claimed to be "Jew-ish." It comes after The Forward reported last week that Santos had misrepresented his Jewish heritage — among a litany of other apparent lies. As he's begun to address those falsehoods, Santos claimed in an interview on Monday that he had never actually claimed to be Jewish. He repeated that same argument in a later interview with City & State NY while suggesting it was wrong to scrutinize his claims of Jewish heritage.

☆ George Santos deleted his campaign biography and blamed 'elitist' New York Times for his lies about his employment history
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In one interview, he blamed the "elitist" New York Times for his lies about his employment history. And in an interview with City & State NY that was published Monday night, he blamed the New York Times for misrepresentations he had made about his employment history. "The moment I put that on a resume, and I put it out there, elitists like the New York Times like to call blue-collar jobs like that 'odd jobs.' "The reality is, yes, I omitted, like, past employment history that was irrelevant to the role," he added. During his interview with City & State NY, Santos also addressed his prior marriage to a woman; Santos is the first non-incumbent gay Republican ever elected to Congress.

☆ Here are the 5 senators who voted against giving workers break time to pump breast milk
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Five senators voted against expanding protections for breastfeeding workers. The PUMP Act will now be included in the federal Omnibus bill, which the president is expected to sign. In online statements on Thursday, Merkley and Murkowski celebrated the passage of the PUMP Act. "I am encouraged to see the PUMP Act pass the Senate—good progress toward ensuring no mother ever has to choose between a job and nursing her child," Murkowski said. Merkley and Murkowski initially tried to get the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act voted on as a standalone bill on Tuesday, but the attempt was blocked by Paul.

☆ George Santos, newly elected New York Republican, accused of lying about being Jewish
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

George Santos may have lied about having Jewish heritage, according to a report published Wednesday. Santos is a Republican from Long Island who was elected this past November. The Forward, a Jewish publication, found no evidence his grandparents were Jewish, as he'd claimed. But while Santos can in fact trace his family tree back to Brazil, The Forward, a Jewish publication, found no evidence to support the claim any of his ancestors were Jewish. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, called on Santos to address the latest controversy.

☆ Fact Check-There is no proof ultrasounds harm babies or mothers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

There is no evidence to suggest that ultrasound examinations during pregnancy are dangerous to fetuses, as some social media posts have falsely said. Experts contacted by Reuters said there were no signs of any increases in deaths or distress among babies or mothers who had standard ultrasounds or the more powerful Doppler ultrasound under medical supervision. A Doppler ultrasound also uses sound waves, but can also check blood flow. “Animal studies cannot be used as evidence as the ultrasound effects cannot be scaled and a small animal will suffer from much greater effects than human babies,” he said. Studies of ultrasounds used in human pregnancies have not found evidence of danger to the health of babies or mothers.

☆ States with more abortion restrictions have higher maternal and infant mortality, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Doha Madani | Doha Madani Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. Pronouns | She Her. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

New research released Wednesday adds to a growing body of evidence showing a link between more restrictive abortion policies and higher rates of maternal and infant mortality. According to the report, states that heavily restricted abortion access in 2020 had maternal death rates that were 62% higher than they were in states where abortion was more easily accessible. "Then, on top of all that, you're adding this variation in abortion services, reproductive health services, by states," Zephyrin said. Their report isn't the only one that has documented a correlation between abortion restrictions and higher maternal and infant mortality. And then you have these further restrictions on reproductive health care," Zephyrin said.

☆ Fact Check-Viral video promotes baseless vaccine depopulation theory
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

However, there is no evidence that mortality rates have surged or that stillbirths have increased as a result of COVID-19 vaccines. News reports about cardiac arrests and unexpected deaths are then shown on screen and are baselessly attributed to COVID-19 vaccines. There have been 55 deaths involving COVID-19 vaccines causing adverse effects in England between March 2020 and October 2022. While stillbirth rates remain constant, global birth or fertility rates, including in the U.S., have been declining for decades (here, here, here, here). The film does not provide evidence that the global elite are depopulating the world through COVID-19 vaccines.

☆ Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock's runoff victory is a testament to how he connected with voters though faith
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

During the Georgia Senate race, Raphael Warnock didn't stray from his deep roots in the church. Warnock effectively engaged with a wide range of voters in a state that can be tough for Democrats. Warnock defeated former University of Georgia football legend Herschel Walker to secure a full six-year term in the Senate. Warnock, the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, campaigns at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Eatonton, Ga., on August 18, 2022. And he acknowledged that while many Americans have faced challenges in recent years, retaining a sense of faith was important.

Search resuls for: "Maternal"

25 mentions found