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☆ TuSimple Plans Layoffs That Could Cut at Least Half Its Workforce Next Week
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Heather Somerville | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As part of the downsizing, much of TuSimple’s operation in Tucson, Ariz., where it does a lot of its test driving, will be eliminated. Self-driving trucking company TuSimple Holdings Inc. plans to cut potentially half its workforce next week, people familiar with the matter said, as it scales back efforts to build and test autonomous truck-driving systems. A staff reduction of that size would likely affect at least 700 employees, the people said. As of June, TuSimple had 1,430 full-time employees globally. It has operations in San Diego, Arizona, Texas and China.

☆ The cofounder of Wunderkeks cookie company wanted to build a culture where 'hungry' workers apply and thrive — and his mentor helped him get there
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | In Partnership With | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After having a bad employee experience, Hans Schrei, a cofounder of the cookie brand Wunderkeks, swore he would approach hiring differently this time. "How we build a team is going to impact the culture of the company and how it progresses," said Schrei, whose company is based in Austin, Texas. Learning from the pastEntering the mentorship, Wunderkeks needed to hire a CFO, content manager, sales manager, and head of e-commerce as part of its focus on scaling up. Establishing a hiring strategyAt the beginning of the mentorship, Nam expected to jump straight into helping Schrei write job descriptions and interview questions. Through the mentorship experience, Schrei has learned that hiring should be personal and deliberate, thinking of employees as people, not numbers, he said.

☆ Commodity-linked stocks push TSX to fresh two-week highs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A sign board displaying Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) stock information is seen in Toronto June 23, 2014. ET (1540 GMT), the Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index (.GSPTSE) was up 66.9 points, or 0.33%, at 20,040.12. The materials sector (.GSPTTMT), which includes miners of precious and base metals, climbed 0.8% on higher metal prices. "Given the magnitude of the rate hikes, they want some time to evaluate how that's going to impact the economy." Among single stocks, Parkland Corp (PKI.TO) gained 5.9% after the food and fuel retailer posted its 2023 outlook.

☆ California first offshore wind auction surpasses $500 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 7 (Reuters) - The first ever auction of offshore wind development rights off the coast of California was in its second day on Wednesday, with high bids topping half a billion dollars. There is currently about 100 megawatts of floating wind capacity installed in the world, compared with 50 gigawatts (GW) for conventional offshore wind, Zaidi noted. Previous federal offshore wind auctions have all been for leases in shallower waters of the Atlantic Ocean. High bids on individual leases ranged between $95.3 million and $148.8 million, according to live auction results on the BOEM web site. They include established offshore wind players like Avangrid Inc (AGR.N), Orsted (ORSTED.CO) and Equinor (EQNR.OL), which are all developing projects on the U.S. East Coast, as well as potential new entrants, including Swedish floating wind developer Hexicon (HEXI.ST) and Macquarie (MQG.AX) unit Corio.

“And the pulse oximeter is used from any age to geriatrics,” he said. The US Food and Drug Administration is mulling over next steps for the regulation of pulse oximeter devices, which may give less accurate readings for people of color. A panel of its Medical Devices Advisory Committee met in November to review clinical data on the issue. “I think of the pulse oximeter reading in the same way. Of course this can be dangerous.”Ultimately, the pulse oximeter can estimate the amount of oxygen a person has in their blood without the need for a blood sample.

The Great Recession left an impression on millennials like me, but I'm still not not worried about the next one. They've been rare and brief in my lifetime, except for the 19-month Great Recession, which turned out to be the most severe economic collapse since the Great Depression. This isn't the Great RecessionThe main reason I'm not terrified of whatever the economy will do next is that recessions aren't always the Great Recession. We're not afraid of the next recession in my house because my partner and I are both self-employed — he's a freelance graphic designer and I run a financial education startup. Because my partner and I are both service-based business owners, our income is diversified across multiple companies and business sectors.

Buying out the Turquoise Hill minority shareholders is Stausholm’s other initiative. Imagine minority shareholders vote down the offer, but Rio then has Turquoise Hill issue fresh equity. With minimal net debt, the miner had enough cash to buy more Turquoise Hill equity. Rio shareholders soon will see just how well Stausholm plays. Pentwater Capital Management and SailingStone Capital Partners, which own respective 15.2% and 2.2% stakes in Canada-based Turquoise Hill, have resisted the offers.

☆ Apple scales back self-driving car, delays launch to 2026 - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has scaled back ambitious self-driving plans for its future electric vehicle and postponed the car's target launch date to 2026, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Apple is now planning a less-ambitious design that will include a steering wheel and pedals and only support full autonomous capabilities on highways, the people told Bloomberg. Last year, a Bloomberg report said Apple was pushing to launch its electric car as early as 2025 and refocusing the project around full self-driving capabilities. Apple's ideal car would have no steering wheel and pedals, with interiors designed around hands-off driving, the report then said. Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Participants who were offered cash incentives for either pounds lost or for completing certain activities were more likely to lose weight compared with those who were simply offered tools, such as diet books, fitness trackers and access to a weight loss program, the study found. On average, participants in the goal-directed group earned $440.44, as compared to $303.56 in the outcome-based group. “Even if less weight is lost, adopting lifelong physical activity or better eating habits may be more important,” she said. Kushner, who was not involved with the new study, agreed that low-income people face extra challenges when it comes to weight loss. What’s not clear, however, is how the strategy of offering cash for weight loss could be implemented in a real-world setting, outside of academia.

☆ "We're already in a recession": The chief market strategist at Charles Schwab says a soft landing isn't possible — and explains why there are no winning stock market sectors right now
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US economy is already in a "rolling recession," says Charles Schwab's Liz Ann Sonders. Sonders believes investors should emphasize factor investing over picking sectors. The timeline for the next recession may be the biggest topic of debate amongst investors right now. But Liz Ann Sonders, the chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, believes that the US economy is already in a recession — whether it's been officially declared or not. She also believes that investors who primarily own US assets and have no exposure to overseas equities may miss out on potential returns.

☆ 'George & Tammy' review: Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon stand by an oft-told musical tale
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Chastain continues to carve out an inordinately unique niche of standout performances playing women named Tammy, although “Tammy Faye” embodied a different realm of high-profile personalities. That is, of course, an oft-told tale, a la “Sid and Nancy” or Ike & Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” among past dramatizations within different musical genres. Understandably, stars are invariably drawn to these kind of showy roles, with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Rocketman” and “Elvis” among the recent examples. Thanks to Chastain and Shannon (who admirably pull off their own singing), “George & Tammy” provides a warts-and-all window into Wynette and Jones’ lives. “George & Tammy” premieres December 4 at 9 p.m.

☆ European shares kick off month on firm footing on Powell speech
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Susan Mathew | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) climbed 0.6%, after gaining 6.8% in November to log its best month since July. Energy stocks (.SXEP) slumped, capping gains for the broader index, as oil prices dipped amid uncertainty ahead of Sunday's OPEC+ meeting. China's stringent measures have contributed to slowing global growth, while aggressive policy tightening and an energy crisis in Europe have also fuelled worries over a recession. "European markets are indeed incorporating the speech from Powell that was well-received by markets already elsewhere. These developments fuel optimism that followed after data showed a smaller-than-expected rise in euro zone inflation on Wednesday, which raised the prospect of a less-aggressive monetary policy tightening by the European Central Bank.

[1/4] A Christmas tree is decorated in front of the headquarters of Swiss bank Credit Suisse in Zurich, Switzerland November 23, 2022. Credit Suisse declined to comment on job cuts in the Hong Kong private banking business. Credit Suisse said in October it intends to reduce its cost base by around 2.5 billion Swiss francs ($2.67 billion) to about 14.5 billion in 2025. Client outflows have partially reversed and very few clients have left entirely, Credit Suisse Chairman Axel Lehmann told a Financial Times conference on Thursday. The fresh round of private banking cuts signals challenges facing Credit Suisse as it shifts towards banking for the wealthy, after vowing to ramp up wealth management globally.

☆ Trump Org hopes to win its Manhattan tax-fraud trial with an 'ignorance' defense — a Trump hallmark
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Summations are Thursday and Friday in the Manhattan tax-fraud trial of the Trump Organization. Star prosecution witnesses with arguably mixed loyalties, the two told jurors they never let anyone named Trump in on the scheme. Jurors may well wonder how Donald Trump, or Eric Trump, or Donald Trump, Jr., could truly have been ignorant of the scheme when the three of them personally signed off on so many of the perks. "Donald Trump didn't know that Allen Weisselberg was cheating on Allen Weisselberg's taxes," as defense lawyer Susan Necheles told jurors in openings. In this trial, though, the ignorance defense goes into overdrive, and doesn't stop with a supposedly clueless Trump.

☆ Japanese biotech firm uses tiny worms in test for pancreatic cancer
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Rocky Swift | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO, Nov 30 (Reuters) - A Japanese biotech firm says it has developed the world's first early screening test for pancreatic cancer, using the powerful noses of tiny worms. Hirotsu Bio Science this month launched its N-NOSE plus Pancreas test, marketing directly to consumers in Japan and with aims to bring the test to the United States by 2023. In the latest version, the company tweaked the genetic code of the nematodes so that they would swim away from pancreatic cancer samples. Hirotsu Bio started with pancreatic cancer due to its difficulty in diagnosis and speed of progression. The pancreas test kit costs up to 70,000 yen ($505), comparatively expensive for a diagnostic test in Japan, which has a nationalised health care system and fixed prices for drugs and procedures.

☆ Fact Check-PCR test for COVID-19 uses gene cloning but cannot be used to clone humans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits for COVID-19 use what’s known as gene cloning – not reproductive cloning – to detect the presence or absence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but social media posts claim that humans are being cloned using COVID-19 PCR tests. The claim appears to originate from an Aug. 18 segment of the Stew Peters Show titled, “Patent PCR Test Linked To Human Cloning Video Shows Animal Experiments, Cross Species Genetics” (here). The 2015 paper by Hoseini and Sauer explains methods for gene cloning with PCR and used a gene encoding a red fluorescent protein as its example. PCR tests for COVID-19 cannot be used for human cloning. Molecular cloning, or gene cloning, that is described in a 2015 paper about using PCR to copy individual genes is an entirely different process.

☆ Products Made With Captured Greenhouse Gas Are Reaching Commercial Scale
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Straws, bottles and packaging made with captured greenhouse-gas are starting to reach commercial scale, offering a way for businesses making and using everyday products to reduce emissions contributing to global warming. Origin Materials Inc. and Newlight Technologies Inc. are trying to meet that demand by bringing factories online that use captured emissions to manufacture materials used to make products including clothes, tires and plastic bottles. Sourcing and transporting raw inputs and captured CO2 are crucial to a product’s so-called carbon-negative credentials, meaning more CO2 is stored than created. The private company sources captured emissions from dairy farms, ethanol plants and landfills, and is expanding into coal mines and exploring direct-air capture. Competitor Origin Materials has a different approach to acquiring captured emissions and plans for its first commercial-scale factory to come online next year.

☆ Idealab founder Bill Gross started selling solar energy kits in 1973 at 15 years old. Now he's leading solar tech company Heliogen
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Idealab and Heliogen Founder Bill Gross speaks onstage during Vox Media's 2022 Code Conference on September 08, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California. "Because I was reading Popular Science magazine, I saw people used to take out little ads in the back," Gross told CNBC. One limiting factor for solar energy is its intermittency, which means it only delivers power when the sun is shining. But we're delivering the energy continuously because the energy is coming out of the rock bed," Gross told CNBC. The price of fossil fuels after Russia invaded Ukraine is a game changer," Gross told CNBC.

☆ Global markets fall after protests erupt in China over Covid lockdowns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN Business —Global markets fell on Monday after widespread protests in China against the country’s stringent Covid-19 restrictions roiled investor sentiment. The markets tumble comes after protests erupted across China in an unprecedented show of defiance against the country’s stringent and increasingly costly zero-Covid policy. US stock futures — an indication of how markets are likely to open — fell, with Dow futures down 0.3%, or 108 points. Oil prices dropped sharply, with investors concerned that surging Covid cases and protests in China may sap demand from one of the world’s largest oil consumers. US crude futures fell 2.7% to trade at $74.22 a barrel.

☆ A 24-year-old stock trader who gained $280,000 in August and over $8 million in 2 years shares 6 key adjustments he made to continue being profitable in 2022's bear-market rallies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He had heard about trading stocks from a friend and began to take up an interest in it. Kellogg began to notice the stock market trending negatively in November and December. On September 7, Kellogg attempted to buy the dip on Globalstar, Inc. (GSAT) after the stock's price spiked to $3 intraday. Eventually, it was followed by a four-day bounce back before the stock market continued trending lower. He normally reviews headlines to see why a stock's price may be moving upwards.

Among them is Best Buy: Its holiday sale began on October 24 and we expect even better deals to pop up today. It's now available on clearance from Best Buy, making it even more affordable to buy than ever. $739.00 from Best Buy Originally $799.00 Save 8%Best Buy Cyber Monday 2022: What to expectThough Best Buy's holiday sale already kicked off a while ago, the best deals are cropping up today on Cyber Monday. Best Buy has stated that its sale has already begun since October 24, but we expect the best deals to show up on Cyber Monday. Best Buy store hours differ by location, so you'll need to check your local store's Cyber Monday hours.

☆ Gig labor could have challenged FedEx and UPS. Now it's making them stronger.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But UPS and FedEx have taken the cue and are integrating flexible workers in their own ways. Gig goes mainstreamWhere smaller players sometimes rely entirely on gig workers, UPS and FedEx are incorporating flexible laborers to complement full-time workers where and when deliveries are less consistent or particularly costly. Despite all that growth, the ecosystem around gig workers — regulation, banking, insurance, and more — is underdeveloped. And though gig workers often covet flexibility, they can easily end up with next to no job security and extremely variable earnings. In response, legislators have tended toward blunt force tactics — potentially eliminating all independent contractors in the name of gig workers.

☆ Why solar electric vehicles might be the next generation of EVs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this article 57LA-FF Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe world's first commercial solar electric vehicles are hitting the U.S. and European markets in the next few years. German company Sono Motors , Southern California-based Aptera Motors, and Dutch company Lightyear are all producing electric vehicles with integrated solar panels, which can harness the sun's power to provide around 15-45 additional miles on a clear day. This is roughly 15 miles a day, which is perfect for commuters," said Sono Motors co-CEO and co-founder Laurin Hahn. Production of Aptera Motors' solar electric two-seater vehicle is set to begin next year in Carlsbad, California. Its lithium-ion battery gets 390 miles per charge, with an average of 20 or so additional miles from solar, up to nearly 45 miles.

☆ The scramble to rearm Ukraine is transforming NATO in a way that would've been hard without Putin's help
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NATO countries have scrambled to rearm and resupply Ukraine as it fights off Russia's invasion. Troops from six NATO countries during a joint terminal attack controller training in Latvia on April 6. Germany has agreed to send some older hardware to countries that send their Soviet-made tanks and armored vehicles to Ukraine. Interoperability with weapons and alignment on tactics will also make it "veritably impossible for these countries to leave NATO," Banerjee added. "The weapons are from NATO, they're going to be from NATO, they will be back-built, and these components will be from NATO countries."

☆ The only thing Elon Musk understands about Twitter is how to kill it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Biologists, anthropologists, and information theorists do think that social networks, like Musk's bird app, show at least some signs of being flocks. "Elon's tweet is basically espousing the invisible hand of social behavior," Bak-Coleman says. In this construction, a social network might have become a collective superintelligence, had capitalists left it to its — our? Under Musk, Twitter has entered the dance-off phase. I'll be sad if the Twitter superintelligence starts singing a Kubrickian cover of "Daisy" and implodes into a pile of melting isolinear chips.

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