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☆ Canada PM Trudeau visits Alberta as wildfires rage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Smoke rises from the Paskwa Wildfire (HLW030) as it burns near the Wood Buffalo National Park boundary outside Fox Lake, Alberta, Canada May 14, 2023. The first 11 days of May have set seasonal heat records in several parts of Alberta, including Edmonton, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. By Sunday afternoon, 89 fires were burning across Alberta, with 25 considered out of control and more than 19,000 evacuees. "Our peak burning period, which is when the temperatures are at their highest and the fuels are at their driest, is still in front of us," Alberta Wildfires official Josee St-Onge said at a briefing Sunday afternoon. "It's too soon to say when we're going to see the peak of this wildfire season.

☆ After Defamation Finding, Trump Again Calls Carroll Untruthful
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lola Fadulu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Trump’s lawyers had accused Ms. Carroll of concealing Mr. Hoffman’s role; her lawyers had argued that the financial support was irrelevant to her legal claims and that she had nothing to do with obtaining it. Mr. Trump also criticized Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of Federal District Court, who presided over the case, calling him a “terrible person” who was “completely biased, and should have recused himself.”It was unclear what, if any, repercussions Mr. Trump’s after-action comments might incur. In the civil trial, which found that Mr. Trump sexually abused Ms. Carroll decades ago, the jury also found that Mr. Trump had defamed Ms. Carroll, and that she was injured as a result of an October 2022 Truth Social post about her, in which he called her case a “complete con job” and “a Hoax and a lie.”They awarded her $5 million in total damages, of which just under $3 million was related to the defamation. During the two-week trial, Mr. Trump didn’t testify in his own defense, nor did his legal team call any witnesses. Instead, Mr. Trump continued to attack the case from afar, in an interview on a golf course in Ireland and on Truth Social.

☆ Addiction Treatment Medicine Is Vastly Underprescribed, Especially by Race, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jan Hoffman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Despite the continuing rise in opioid overdose deaths, one of the most effective treatments for opioid addiction is still drastically underprescribed in the United States, especially for Black patients, according to a large new study. Within six months following a high-risk event like an overdose, white patients filled buprenorphine prescriptions up to 80 percent more often than Black patients, and up to 25 percent more often than Latino patients, the study found. Rates of use for methadone, another effective treatment, were generally even lower. Noting that all the patients regardless of race encountered doctors roughly once a month, he said, “There are two mechanisms left that could explain disparities this large. One is where people of color get their health care, which we know is highly segregated, and another is racial differences in patient trust and demand for buprenorphine.“

☆ Why ChatGPT developer OpenAI is the No. 1 company on the 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50 list
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Julia Boorstin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Microsoft unveiled new versions of its Bing internet-search engine and Edge browser powered by the newest technology from ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Of the 50 companies on this year's list, 21 told us that AI is critically important to more than 50% of their revenue. Half of the companies in the top 10 of the 2023 CNBC Disruptor 50 list feature key use of AI, and notably, they represent a diverse range of industries and use cases. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a keynote address announcing ChatGPT integration for Bing at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, Feb. 7, 2023. The call to slow down is, in fact, less safe than what they're proposing," he said, referring to OpenAI and Altman.

☆ Here's why Semafor's Liz Hoffman would temporarily ban short selling amid the banking crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | 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 EmailHere's why Semafor's Liz Hoffman would temporarily ban short selling amid the banking crisisLiz Hoffman, Semafor business and finance editor, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the profits short sellers have made from the current banking crisis and more.

In the face of an escalating opioid epidemic, the F.D.A. recently approved over-the-counter sales for Narcan — a lifesaving nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. Jan Hoffman, who covers health law for The Times, explains why the new availability of Narcan could change the trajectory of the epidemic.

☆ LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman takes another dig at Elon Musk for proposing a pause on AI development
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Reid Hoffman took a dig at Elon Musk over his stance on AI in a Milken Institute talk this week. Musk has signed a letter backing an AI development pause, but also wants to make a ChatGPT rival. Hoffman said, "Elon, while signing that letter, is trying to hire a whole team and stand up an AI effort." Elon Musk has some incongruous views on AI development, and LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman pointed that out in a recent talk. On CNBC's "Squawk Box" last month, Hoffman said he disliked the idea of pressing pause on AI and criticized Musk over his stance on AI development.

☆ A new AI chatbot called Pi is designed to serve as your personal assistant — here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new chatbot called Pi, launched by Inflection AI, offers personal advice and support. There's a new AI chatbot on the scene — and this one wants to get personal. At one point, I asked Pi to share museum recommendations for a friend visiting New York City. Insider asked Pi how to restart the conversation, and Pi said to "start talking about whatever is on your mind." Inflection AI also said it's "creating a new form of 'boundary training' that will redefine how AIs learn and are trained."

☆ An Ace’s Return Steadies the Ship, Even in a Loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Benjamin Hoffman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In Justin Verlander’s first start of the season, he pitched like an ace. And no, the Mets did not win. In a season in which the starting rotations of both New York teams have seemed almost cursed by injuries and ineffectiveness, that was enough to find a ray of sunshine. “You saw his stuff, so to speak, and velocity and crispness kind of get better as the game went on,” Mets Manager Buck Showalter said after the game. “I could tell he was getting after it the last inning.”

☆ Ex-OpenAI researcher says there's a 50% chance AI development could end in 'doom'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A former OpenAI researcher is concerned AI poses a risk to humanity. Paul Christiano said during a podcast that there was a "maybe a 10-20% chance of AI takeover." "I think maybe there's something like a 10-20% chance of AI takeover, [with] many [or] most humans dead, " Paul Christiano said during an appearance on the Bankless podcast. "Overall, maybe you're getting more up to a 50/50 chance of doom shortly after you have AI systems that are human level," he said. Recently a group of AI experts signed an open letter that called for a 6-month pause on advanced AI development.

☆ When Brian Chesky co-founded Airbnb, his mom said, 'You're not an entrepreneur, you're unemployed'—now he's worth $9.3 billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

That's according to Chesky, who told the story at a recent Stanford Graduate School of Business event. Months before Airbnb's scheduled initial public offering, business dropped 80% in eight weeks during Covid-19 lockdowns, Chesky told Stanford students. Today, Airbnb's market cap is $75.49 billion, and Chesky's net worth is $9.3 billion, according to Forbes. "I never focused on trying to make a lot of money," Chesky said. DON'T MISS: Want to be smarter and more successful with your money, work & life?

☆ Reid Hoffman's new AI startup Inflection launches ChatGPT-like chatbot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Krystal Hu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 2 (Reuters) - Inflection AI, the AI startup founded by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and former Deepmind (GOOGL.O) researcher Mustafa Suleyman, has released its first AI chatbot product, the company said on Tuesday. Similar to the viral chatbot ChatGPT, Inflection's AI chatbot, named Pi, uses generative AI technology to interact with users through conversations, in which people can ask questions and share interests. Inflection AI said it developed the technology in-house and its Pi chatbot is built on prioritizing human conversations with a high level of emotional intelligence. Pi uses user data, including conversational content, to train its AI systems, according to its terms of service. Chatbot powered by generative AI technology has become a crowded field since OpenAI's ChatGPT burst into the scene last November.

☆ Joe Biden to attend $25,000 per person fundraiser during NYC campaign cash blitz
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US President Joe Biden speaks about the creation of new manufacturing jobs at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, April 25, 2023. A Biden campaign spokesman declined to comment. An NBC News poll shows 46% of the Republican primary voters support Trump over other declared and potential rivals, including former Florida Gov. The majority of those surveyed said they would prefer that neither Biden nor Trump run for president. Trump and Biden combined to raise almost $2 billion during the 2020 election cycle, according to data from OpenSecrets.

NEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - E. Jean Carroll returned to the witness stand in her rape and defamation civil case against Donald Trump, after the judge denied a defense request for a mistrial. Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina began cross-examining Carroll for a second day, hoping to show jurors inconsistencies or holes in her claims against the former U.S. president. In seeking a mistrial, Tacopina wrote an 18-page letter early on Monday accusing U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan of bias against Trump. Trump's lawyer also challenged Kaplan's statement that Trump might be "sailing in harm's way" after his son Eric Trump discussed on Twitter how LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman was helping fund Carroll's case. TRUMP NOT ATTENDING TRIALA businessman-turned-politician, Trump has not attended Carroll's trial, and on Monday was in Scotland for a short trip to visit his golf courses there and eventually in Ireland.

☆ Explosions Rock Kyiv After Russian Strike: Live Updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Marc Santora | Malachy Browne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Image Emergency workers at the scene of a Russian missile strike on a residential building in Uman, Ukraine, on Friday. A flurry of missiles fired by both sides this weekend appears to mark the next phase of the conflict. Credit... Brendan Hoffman for The New York TimesExplosions echoed across the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Monday as Ukrainian officials warned of a large-scale Russian missile attack. Air defences intercepted 15 of 18 cruise missiles that Russia aimed at Ukraine, according to the military. The explosions in Kyiv on Monday were a few hours after Russia attacked Pavlograd in central Ukraine, sparking a massive fire that lit up the night sky.

☆ Ambitious genome project shows how humans fit with other mammals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The findings in the ambitious Zoonomia Project identified parts of the genome functionally important in people and other mammals and showed how certain mutations can cause disease. The project revealed the genetics of uncommon mammalian traits like hibernation and showed how the sense of smell varies widely. The researchers said the findings on hibernation genetics could inform human therapeutics, critical care and long-distance space flight. The most primitive species was the venomous burrowing insect-eater Hispaniola solenodon, closely related to mammals alive during the dinosaur age. In terms of human differences from other mammals, the study pointed to regions associated with developmental and neurological genes.

LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman contributed money to a nonprofit funding E. Jean Carroll's rape lawsuit against Trump. The judge said Wednesday that jurors couldn't hear evidence related to his funding of the case. The issue of whether billionaire LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman contributed money towards E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit against the former president, US District Judge Lewis Kaplan said, "would be prejudicial" because it has no bearing on Carroll's allegations. "The whole subject of litigation funding is precluded," the judge said Wednesday afternoon in a downtown Manhattan courtroom. The funding issue had no bearing on the merits of Carroll's claims, Kaplan said earlier.

☆ Billionaire LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman reveals 2 Buddhist principles that shape his worldview and help him navigate failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In an interview with The Generalist, Hoffman said he's been most influenced by Buddha. Hoffman also said in the interview that Aristotle initially inspired him to study philosophy. Hoffman, who cofounded LinkedIn, announced he was stepping down from the board of OpenAI last month. Hoffman holds a master's degree in philosophy from Oxford and planned to go into academia at one point. Hoffman, who calls himself an "accidental technologist," credits his philosophical instincts as the reason he is in the industry.

☆ The $30 billion reason for Wall Street to save First Republic ASAP
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The bank is seeking to sell assets and raise fresh capital to keep itself going. That's part of the reason the stock is trading down so heavily, with the bank currently valued at a little more than $1 billion. The pitch, according to Hugh Son at CNBC, is essentially this: If First Republic is seized by the FDIC, those same banks will face a bill of $30 billion. Liz Hoffman at Semafor notes that private equity could step in also, taking on some of First Republic's problem assets, with banks taking on the rest. First Republic would then seek to sell shares to replenish its capital.

"I'm here because Trump raped me," Carroll testified. Trump's posts mentioned two issues that Judge Lewis Kaplan had warned parties in the trial not to mention to jurors. Carroll alleges Trump assaulted her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in or around 1996. In his first Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump wrote, "The E. Jean Carroll case, Ms. Bergdorf Goodman, is a made up SCAM. "Just look at her CNN interview before & after the commercial break - Like a different person," Trump wrote, referring to an interview Carroll gave CNN about the lawsuit.

☆ Big money donors rally behind Biden as he launches his reelection bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Big donors in the business world started rallying around President Joe Biden soon after he announced Tuesday that he's running for reelection next year. A Biden campaign spokesperson didn't return a request for comment before publication. Katzenberg told CNBC in an exclusive interview Tuesday night that he believes the Biden campaign will raise more this time around than in 2020. Biden's campaign raised over $400 million from donors that gave under $200 during his last run for president, according to OpenSecrets. Venture capitalist Ron Conway has told friends he will help the president's campaign, according to a person close to him.

☆ Trump's rape trial brought by E. Jean Carroll starts Tuesday in Manhattan. The case centers around accusations from the 1990s
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman changing room in the mid-1990s. Carroll is asking for Trump to retract his statements and for a jury to award her unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. Carroll says their encounter started off playful, with Trump asking Carroll to help him pick out a gift for a female friend. Eva Deitch for The Washington Post via Getty ImagesTrump's lawyers are likely to try and paint Carroll's lawsuit as a political witch hunt. Trump's lawyers asked to delay the trial a month so that they could probe Hoffman's involvement more, but that request was denied, though Kaplan allowed Trump's legal team to conduct another deposition with Carroll before the trial starts.

☆ Inside the Wild World of Celebrity Keynote Speakers: Drugs, Alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( David Kushner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

"I never saw myself as a speaker, let alone a motivational speaker," Leonard tells me while his assistant irons his jeans. 'When I ramble," Hunter told me, "hit me in the leg!" Every plane had been grounded, including the one stuck on the tarmac with an increasingly inebriated Hunter Thompson trapped inside. But by far the most all-consuming task was booking gigs for Hunter Thompson. Just before a debate with G. Gordon Liddy at Brown University, Hunter demanded that Betsy Berg, whom I now worked alongside at GTN, score him some crystal meth.

☆ Why Michael Bloomberg is the keeper of the keys on Wall Street
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Bloomberg deals in data — via its ubiquitous terminal — which serves as the lifeblood of Wall Street. (A funny nugget from the FT story: Bloomberg is not part of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. In many ways, the Bloomberg terminal is the cockroach of Wall Street. Tiger Global's down bad. Here's more on Tiger Global's unique approach to investing in startups and why it backfired.

☆ Judge seals filings over whether billionaire Democratic donor is bankrolling E. Jean Carroll's rape lawsuit against Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

E. Jean Carroll's rape lawsuit against former President Donald Trump goes to trial next week. A federal judge sealed documents related to whether billionaire Reid Hoffman funded Carroll's suit. Alina Habba, an attorney representing Trump in the lawsuit, told Insider she would oppose the decision. On April 13, Habba asked Judge Kaplan (who is not related to Carroll's lawyer) again to delay the trial and reopen the discovery process in the case. Trump's attorneys haven't yet said whether the former president will attend the trial, and Judge Kaplan isn't forcing him to.

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