DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Potential China wave is 'wild card' for ending COVID emergency - WHO advisors
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jennifer Rigby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"It's clear that we are in a very different phase [of the pandemic], but in my mind, that pending wave in China is a wild card." Last week, he told reporters in Geneva that he was "hopeful" of an end to the emergency some time next year. Tedros's earlier comments spurred hopes that the United Nations agency could soon remove the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) designation for COVID, which has been in place since January 2020. Some global health experts had expected China to wait for the WHO to lift the emergency status before easing its own pandemic response measures. WHO member states are currently working on re-designing the rules that govern global health emergencies to potentially address issues like this.

☆ Researchers discover over 100 new ancient designs in Peru's Nazca lines
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Carlos Valdez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jorge Olano, head archaeologist for the Nazca Lines research program, said the new figures averaged between two and six meters (6.56 to 19.7 feet) in length. The purpose of the Nazca lines, which could only be seen from the air, remain a mystery. This month's findings, however, are smaller and can be seen from the ground, Masato Sakai, a professor from Yamagata University who led the study, told Reuters. The figures, iconic vestiges of Peru's rich history, are about a three-hour drive from the capital Lima. Yamagata University said the research will be used in artificial intelligence-based surveys to help inform the lines' preservation.

☆ Best Nonstick Frying Pans From Consumer Reports' Tests
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Mary H.J. Farrell | Consumer Reports | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

When it comes to cookware, there’s nothing as useful as a good nonstick frying pan. Below are the best nonstick frying pans from our tests, listed in alphabetical order. CR’s take: You really can’t go wrong with the Anolon Advanced Nonstick frying pans; there are two in this set, a 10-inch and a 12-inch. And like the set it comes with, the GreenPan Padova frying pan stands out in our list of nonstick cookware. CR’s take: This nonstick frying pan comes from a brand known more for its colorful cast-iron cookware.

This fall, as Russia’s losses mounted in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin announced a draft. Almost immediately, hundreds of thousands of men fled the country, though many more stayed. Valerie Hopkins, an international correspondent for The Times, spoke to Russians at a draft office in Moscow to gauge how they felt about going to war and who they blame for the fighting.

☆ Mexico, the deadliest country for journalists in 2022: watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File PhotoMEXICO CITY, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Mexico is the country where most journalists were killed in 2022, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Wednesday in a report that documented alarming evidence of kidnappings, assaults and arrests of media workers. The report registered 11 killings of media professionals in the Latin American country from January to Dec. 1, or nearly 20% of the global total, the report said. Freedom of speech advocacy groups have documented even more killings of media workers this year, making 2022 the deadliest year on record for journalists in Mexico. Worldwide, RSF reported 57 journalist killings, an 18.8% increase from 2021, driven mainly by the war in Ukraine. The organization reported 49 media workers went missing and other 65 were kidnapped globally.

☆ Crypto winter end in sight as Ethereum looks to shake the chills- analysts
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

J.P.MORGAN:"We believe that the Ethereum Merge and really the Ethereum Surge could be a big factor in terms of increasing the use-cases for blockchain into new areas, including financial services," analysts said in an early December note. The Ethereum Merge was a major software upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain that went live in September and reduced its energy usage by 99.95%, according to developers. "We continue to see the Ethereum Surge as a catalyst for development in the cryptocurrency markets, which appears at least 6-12 months away." "From the China crackdown to the several price crashes in earlier 2022, crypto mining has shown an approximately 1-to-1 price-power relationship. Norwood expects the crypto market to pick up in about six months.

☆ Florida legislator who sponsored ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law resigns amid Covid-relief fraud charges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Florida state representative who sponsored legislation opponents dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill resigned Thursday, a day after he was accused of fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from a federal Covid-relief program. State Rep. Joseph Harding, a Republican, said his resignation would be "effective immediately." He has been indicted on a slew of charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements and other crimes. He sponsored a bill this year prohibiting “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity” in the state’s primary schools. The bill, which was criticized as an attack on Florida’s LGBTQ community, was signed into law in March by Republican Gov.

"Grateful for the long-overdue release of Brittney Griner today from Russian custody. "Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive #WEAREBG," tweeted one of her Phoenix Mercury teammates, Brianna Turner. The Biden administration wasn't able to secure Whelan's release because the Russian government is treating his case differently than Griner's, Biden said. “While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” Blinken said. Share this -Link copiedWho is Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer that the U.S. exchanged for Brittney Griner?

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. Russia got the jailed arms dealer back from the United States on Thursday after exchanging imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for him at Abu Dhabi airport. His notoriety was such that his life helped inspire a Hollywood film, 2005’s Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer loosely based on Bout. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

[1/2] Activists protest in the Indiana Statehouse during a special session debating on banning abortion in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. July 25, 2022. REUTERS/Cheney OrrDec 2 (Reuters) - A second Indiana judge on Friday blocked the state from enforcing its law banning most abortions after Jewish, Muslim and other non-Christian women challenged it in a lawsuit. The plaintiffs have argued that the measure infringes on religious freedom protected by another state law. The law had already been on hold, as another judge in September blocked Indiana from enforcing it while Planned Parenthood and other healthcare providers challenge it in court. The ACLU said the plaintiffs represented religions including Judaism and Islam as well as "independent spiritual belief systems."

☆ Tires on hundreds of SUVs have been deflated by climate activists who want to make it 'impossible to own a huge polluting 4x4'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Climate activists are deflating the tires of SUVs in US cities to make them "impossible" to own. Tyre Extinguishers deflated almost 900 SUVs this week and hit 52 in Brooklyn, NY. Its members deflated tires on almost 900 polluting SUVs in eight countries on November 28 and 29, according to the statement. The group said it deflated tires on 52 SUVs in the Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights area of New York City this week. At the end of October, the group said it had "disarmed" 10,000 SUVs since beginning to deflate tires in March.

☆ Marion Barter: The search for a missing mother surfaces claims of her lover's 'life of deceit'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

We’ve exposed a way bigger fish than what I ever expected to find,” Leydon told CNN. He revealed that he’d had a four-month affair with the schoolteacher from February to June, 1997 – the same month she left Australia. Two years after Barter left Australia for Europe, Janet Oldenburg took a similar trip with Blum, who she knew as Ric West. She filed a police report and the inquest heard Blum told police he sent all the jewelry back. In court, Blum denied her claims and accused her of lying.

Charlie Poekel, 74, an attorney and author living in Marion, Mass., and Palm Beach, Fla., on his 1941 Dodge pickup, as told to A.J. Before I was born, my father had an appliance store on Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell, N.J. He had two degrees in engineering and worked for Curtiss-Wright aviation, but because he was an electrical engineer, he opened this store to supplement his income. He sold radios, ranges and refrigerators, and he had a sign above the door: Poekel Electric.

☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who could be swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Russia wants the jailed arms dealer back in Moscow and is discussing a prisoner swap with the United States that could see him exchanged for Americans imprisoned in Russia including basketball star Brittney Griner. Reed was ultimately freed in return for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot jailed in the United States on drug trafficking charges. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. In interviews, Bout has said he attended Moscow's Military Institute of Foreign Languages, which serves as a training ground for military intelligence officers. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ Another Supreme Court Clean-Up Job
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Supreme Court on Tuesday is being asked to correct another misconceived decision that has let individuals sue states under a Reconstruction Era law for not complying with federal spending rules. This sleeper case hasn’t generated headlines but has major constitutional implications. Congress typically sets conditions on money distributed to states for programs such as Medicaid. The question in Health and Hospital Corp. of Marion County v. Talevski is whether individuals can enforce Congress’s rules in federal court and receive damages for state violations.

☆ Doctor who performed abortion on 10-year-old rape victim sues Indiana AG over bids to access records
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio is suing Indiana’s attorney general, seeking to block him from using allegedly “frivolous” consumer complaints to issue subpoenas seeking patients’ confidential medical records. The lawsuit targeting Attorney General Todd Rokita was filed Thursday in Marion County on behalf of Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist, her medical partner, Dr. Amy Caldwell, and their patients. After the news of the 10-year-old’s abortion broke, Rokita told Fox News he would investigate whether Bernard violated child abuse notification or abortion reporting laws. He also said his office would look into whether anything Bernard said to The Indianapolis Star about the girl’s case violated federal medical privacy laws. Bernard’s attorney, Kathleen DeLaney, signaled in a July court filing that she planned to sue Rokita.

Nov 3 (Reuters) - An Indiana doctor who performed an abortion on a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim sued Indiana's attorney general on Thursday, demanding an end to investigations seeking medical records about patients and their abortions. An Ohio man has been indicted for raping the girl and is due to go on trial early next year. The girl was referred to Bernard because the Supreme Court ruling triggered a strict Ohio law barring her from an in-state abortion. "The Attorney General and the Director will continue to initiate sham investigations of Plaintiffs unless enjoined by the Court," said the lawsuit filed in Marion Superior Court. Besides the case involving the 10-year-old girl, subpoenas were issued in a separate complaint involving Caldwell, Bernard's medical partner.

☆ Fact Check-Boston University hybrid COVID virus kills 80% of mice, not people
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The authors then infected different sets of transgenic mice designed to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 with one of the three strains: Omicron, the ancestral virus, or the Omi-S hybrid virus (here). In the study, 100% of mice infected with the ancestral virus strain died, while 80% of those infected with Omi-S died, and none of the mice infected with Omicron died. Others shared the claim that the Omi-S had an “80% kill rate,” without specifying whether this referred to mice or humans. The ancestral virus (the viruses as they were when introduced in Europe and the US) in this mouse model kills 100% of the animals. Early in the pandemic, the fatality rate of the ancestral virus for people in a multicountry European analysis was estimated at about 4% (here).

☆ Florida student gives out $10K to classmates after allegedly stealing grandmother's savings, police say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

SUMMERFIELD, Fla. — A 14-year-old girl caused a stir at a north Florida middle school when she handed out more than $10,000 that she is accused of stealing from her grandmother, officials said. Marion County deputies responded to Lake Weir Middle School in Summerfield on Thursday after reports that a student was giving classmates hundreds of dollars each, according to an arrest report. School officials conducted a search of the girl’s backpack and found about $2,500, deputies said. The girl said she had been given the money by an unknown former student who wanted the money disseminated. The arrest report doesn’t say why the girl allegedly took the money or why she gave it away to her classmates.

☆ Federal grand jury indicts police officer accused of kicking a handcuffed man in the face
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis police officer accused of kicking a handcuffed man in the face during an arrest last year was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury for alleged use of excessive force. The police body camera video of a forceful arrest on Sept. 24, 2021, appears to show an officer, Sgt. Police Chief Randal Taylor recommended last year that Huxley, then a 14-year veteran of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, be dismissed. Court records detailing those charges said Huxley and two officers approached a man near the city’s Monument Circle after hearing him shouting. Officers asked the man to stop shouting, but after he refused he was handcuffed.

☆ Airbus is auctioning parts of a retired Emirates A380 superjumbo. There's more than 500 items, including a cockpit staircase, seats, and galley carts.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Taylor Rains | Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

The majority of the nearly 500 items up for grabs come from the superjumbo's cabin, as well as various pieces of hardware and clothing that would have been used on the plane. Airbus A380 auction item — carbon fiber longboard. Marion Brochart/AirbusSource: Airbus

Here are a few of the financing options available through popular jewelers:Blue Nile: Financing is available via Blue Nile's credit card. Ritani: Ritani offers financing via a Synchrony bank credit card. Tiffany & Co.: The brand's credit card offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months, or a 7.99% APR for 24 months. Why I used a credit card with an intro APR offerWhen I bought the ring, I opened a card that had a 0% introductory APR for the first 15 months. Plus, if you have a premium card from Chase, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, you can move points from the Chase Freedom Unlimited® to the premium Chase card.

NewFest, New York’s premier LGBTQ film festival, returns for its 34th annual celebration of queer media. While there are many must-see films at this year’s festival, here are a five to add to your watch list. The film stars Emmy-nominated actor Jeremy Pope (“Hollywood”) as a young gay man who joins the Marines after a decade living on the streets. Previously, Bratton translated his experiences into documentaries about LGBTQ subjects, including 2019’s “Pier Kids,” about queer and transgender youths living at Manhattan’s Christopher Street Pier. The film’s stars include Flaherty, Wyatt Fenner, Joey Taranto and Kiyon Spencer.

☆ 'American Idol' runner-up Willie Spence dies at 23 after car crash
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Former "American Idol" runner-up Willie Spence died following a car accident on Tuesday, according to a preliminary report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Spence, 23, finished as runner-up to Chayce Beckham in the show's 19th season, which aired last year. Just hours before the crash, Spence posted a video of himself singing "You Are My Hiding Place" on his Instagram page. Katharine McPhee Foster, who finished as the runner-up on season five of "Idol" and performed a duet with Spence on season 19, posted news of the death to her Instagram story. Spence planned to perform at a show in London next month, according to a post on his Instagram.

☆ Willie Spence, ‘American Idol’ Season 19 runner-up, dead at 23
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Willie Spence, a singer who as a teen went viral with his rendition of Rihanna’s hit “Diamonds” and was the runner up on Season 19 on “American Idol, has died the show confirmed in a social media posting on Wednesday. “We are devastated about the passing of our beloved American Idol family member, Willie Spence,” read the caption on a video of Spence’s “Idol” audition, posted on the show’s verified Instagram account. TMZ also reported that a family member confirmed to them that Spence died after a crash. Spence also chose to perform the song for his audition for “American Idol” in 2021. That’s where I see myself in five years.”“American Idol” fifth season runner up Katharine McPhee Foster took to her Instagram stories to post a tribute to Spence, who she met on “Idol” during his season.

Search resuls for: "MARION"

25 mentions found