DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Harvey Karp Wants to Make Infants Safer and Happier
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Emily Bobrow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In 2004, Harvey Karp delivered a lecture about the fact that some 3,500 babies in the U.S. died each year from sleep-related deaths before their first birthday. “I said if a foreign country killed 3,500 of our babies, we would go to war,” Dr. Karp, 71, recalls over video from his office in Los Angeles, where he works with Nina Montée Karp, his wife and business partner. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of sudden infant deaths hasn’t declined since 1999. Fewer infants are dying in their cribs, owing to a public-health campaign launched in the early 1990s advising parents to put babies down on their backs. But Dr. Karp notes that “babies don’t sleep well on their backs, so poor, tired parents” are bringing them into their own beds, where babies are more likely to die of suffocation.

For decades, searching for such hard-to-reach plants and collecting samples was carried out by intrepid botanists who rappelled by rope down dangerous cliffs to hunt for what was lost. Now, we may have a little more time before extinction.”DIRE SITUATIONToday, two in five plant species globally are threatened with extinction. Kauai has 250 plant species that can be found only on the island. To protect species in the long run, botanists need to collect samples — seeds and genetic material — which they can cultivate in greenhouse nurseries. They might even use drones to bomb down collected seeds, packing them into sticky fertilizer balls that can adhere to steep cliffs.

☆ Arid wheat fields and dead cows: a snapshot of Argentina's worst drought in decades
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Maximilian Heath | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The drought in Argentina has led to sharp cuts to the country's wheat harvest forecast and is threatening to derail corn and soy too. Russo said soil moisture levels were worse than the 2008/09 campaign, when the South American country produced only 31 million tonnes of soybeans, from 18 million hectares planted. Russo said that the current wheat crop forecast of 11.8 million tonnes, already slashed from an original 19 million tonnes, could be trimmed further. In 2008/09 the wheat harvest was 8.3 million tonnes. Reporting by Maximilian Heath in Navarro, Argentina Editing by Adam Jourdan and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Faces from the frontline of Russia's war on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nina Melenets finally buried her son in November, more than seven months after she said he was killed by shelling in their village in eastern Ukraine. The 62-year-old is still looking for her husband, Serhiy, who has been missing since late March.

☆ Pictures of the year: Extreme weather in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Cameo launches Cameo Kids personalized videos with Candle Media
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Dec 8 (Reuters) - Celebrity video messaging service Cameo said Thursday it has partnered with Candle Media to launch a new feature aimed at the playground set -- Cameo Kids. The service will offer personalized birthday and holiday video greetings from animated children's characters, including popular figures from Candle Media's Moonbug Entertainment's franchises "Blippi" and "CoComelon." Personalized messages for children expand the potential market for Cameo, which launched five years ago and allows athletes, celebrities and musicians to sell personalized videos to their fans. Cameo had experimented with offering children's content about a year ago, working with Mattel Inc's (MAT.O) 'Thomas the Tank Engine,' but its partnership with Candle Media helped elevate the experience, Galanis said. Blackstone-backed Candle Media spent months figuring out how to use its animated characters to deliver personalized video at scale.

☆ GE Healthcare Plans to Reduce Debt and Costs, Pursue Tuck-In Acquisitions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

As a stand-alone company, GE Healthcare will also look to improve its working capital and lower logistics costs, Mr. Zodl said. GE Healthcare will also take a look at its real estate holdings and target over 100 sites, executives said. Ratings firms S&P Global Ratings, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service have all given GE Healthcare an investment-grade rating. PREVIEWApart from reducing debt and costs, GE Healthcare will scout for potential tuck-in acquisition targets, Chief Executive Peter Arduini said. GE retains a 19.9% stake in GE Healthcare.

☆ U.S. forecaster sees La Niña prevailing during winter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 8 (Reuters) - La Niña is expected to continue during the northern hemisphere winter, with equal chances of La Niña and ENSO-neutral conditions during January to March of 2023, a U.S. government weather forecaster said on Thursday. There is about a 71% chance of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions during February to April of 2023, the forecaster said. The La Niña weather pattern is characterized by unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Reporting by Kavya Guduru in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Gen Z founders are changing the way many employers address their workers' mental health
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Many Gen Z founders are creating better workplaces for themselves and their staff. They're placing a large emphasis on supporting their employees' mental health and wellness. The generation is "leading the way to so many dramatic transformations around how we as a society are addressing mental health," she said. Samantha SyboWhile the young generation has made waves in mental health, Gen Z founders aren't immune to the emotional damage that comes with promoting a business online. Gen Z employees expect this progress in the workplaceYan and his two cofounders launched Simplify in 2020 to help job seekers land roles.

☆ U.S. Bank Regulator’s Climate Push About Mitigating Risk, Not Steering Policy, Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

A U.S. bank regulator’s push to have institutions consider their climate risks isn’t a bid to force them to fund a low-carbon future, an official said. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency doesn’t want to steer banks to embrace particular climate views, Yue (Nina) Chen, the OCC’s recently appointed chief climate risk officer, said Tuesday. “OCC’s focus is on risk management,” she said. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. “Banks need to dedicate resources to identify, measure, manage and monitor climate-related financial risks,” she said.

☆ Nissan Grapples With Currency Volatility, Even as Weak Yen Boosts Earnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nina Trentmann | Nissan Chief Financial Officer Stephen Ma | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

For Nissan Motor Co. finance chief Stephen Ma, the weak yen has been both a boon and a bane. “The current weakness of the yen has given us short-term benefits, which is good,” Mr. Ma said. Mr. Ma said he is working to repay debt and increase the auto maker’s profitability while managing issues such as currency volatility, semiconductor shortages and pricing. “We have some stickiness in terms of pricing power,” Mr. Ma said. Nissan has had “common sense, commercial-based” discussions with Renault, according to Mr. Ma.

☆ UK lawmakers warned of cyber-attacks and possible harassment from Iranian operatives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nina Dos Santos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —British lawmakers have been warned to be on alert for cyber-attacks and possible harassment from Iranian operatives, according to correspondence sent to lawmakers in both the upper and lower chambers last month. The correspondence is part of a growing chorus of warnings about the potential actions of Iranian operatives in Britain as tensions rise between the two countries. Earlier in the month, UK lawmakers received guidance on how to prevent digital snooping. Iran has sanctioned several UK lawmakers, including the country’s security minister. Iranian security forces have also allegedly threatened journalists working in Britain.

LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Global renewable power capacity growth is set to double over the next five years, driven by energy security concerns in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday. High gas and power prices from a global energy crisis this year have made renewable power technologies more attractive. "The world is set to add as much renewable power in the next five years as it did in the previous 20 years," he added. Global solar photovoltaic capacity is set to almost triple by 2027, becoming the largest source of power capacity in the world, while wind capacity is set to almost double. (This story has been officially corrected by the IEA to show capacity growth (not capacity) is set to double in the headline and paragraph 1)Reporting by Nina Chestney; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dozens are killed in Colombia after mudslide buries bus
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — A mudslide unleashed by torrential rain buried a bus and two other vehicles in central Colombia, killing at least 27 people and leaving others trapped as rescuers tried to reach them in the wreckage on Monday. The mudslide late Sunday divided a highway in two in the town of Pueblo Rico in the district of Risaralda. “Solidarity with the victims’ families, they’ll have the complete support of the national government,” Petro added as he confirmed the death toll. The public bus was carrying more than 20 people and was left buried in the wreckage of the highway. The town had been under a mudslide threat due to heavy rains caused by the La Niña weather phenomenon, according to Colombia’s national emergency management agency.

☆ Landslide buries bus in Colombia, killing at least 34
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - At least 34 people died when a landslide buried a bus in northwestern Colombia on Sunday, the government disaster agency said on Monday. [1/3] Police help the rescue operations of a bus that was buried after a landslide due to heavy rains in Pueblo Rico, Colombia December 4, 2022. Colombia National Police/Handout via REUTERS 1 2 3Landslides are common in Colombia due to the mountainous terrain, frequent heavy rains and informal construction of houses. Events linked to heavy rains have killed more than 216 people and left 538,000 homeless so far in 2022, according to government statistics. The country's most recent large landslide killed over 320 people in the city of Mocoa in 2017.

☆ U.K. Tax Change to Yield Higher Costs, but Much-Needed Certainty for Companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Now, under a new prime minister, the government is pledging fiscal austerity, accompanied by an increase in the corporate tax rate to 25%. Photo: Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesWith the latest change, the corporate tax rate has flip-flopped four times in less than a year. The tax increase, from the current rate of 19%, will apply to companies with annual profit of more than £250,000, equivalent to more than $307,000. We know it is increasing to 25%.”The U.K. government’s change brings the corporate tax rate in line with those of other large economies. Photo: Jason Alden/Bloomberg NewsU.K. companies’ costs are rising on multiple fronts.

☆ U.K. Tax Change to Yield Higher Costs, But Much-Needed Certainty For Companies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

☆ China operating over 100 police stations across the world with the help of some host nations, report claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Nina Dos Santos | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Madrid-based human rights campaigner Safeguard Defenders says it found evidence China was operating 48 additional police stations abroad since the group first revealed the existence of 54 such stations in September. When approached by CNN last month about Safeguard Defenders’ original allegations, China’s foreign affairs ministry said the overseas stations were staffed by volunteers. However, the organization’s latest report claims one police network it examined had hired 135 people for its first 21 stations. The organization also sourced a three-year contract for a worker hired at an overseas station in Stockholm. The NGO determines Italy has hosted 11 Chinese police stations, including in Venice and in Prato, near Florence.

☆ With Debt Coming Due, Investment-Grade Companies Are Paying Up, Too
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

What’s more, volatile markets have resulted in fewer opportunities for companies to sell their debt. Investment-grade U.S. companies have between $550 billion and $750 billion coming due per year from 2023 through 2027, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., with about $59 billion left to pay off or refinance in 2022. Of the $615.54 billion, $504.31 billion were new issuances, compared to $111.23 billion in refinancings, Dealogic said. But investor demand for bonds has been stronger in recent days, leading Amazon.com Inc. and others with near-term debt coming due to the market. Among the businesses that recently took out bond debt at a higher cost is retail giant Walmart Inc.

☆ 5 Holiday Candle Holders to Bring Some Glow Into Your Home
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Nina Molina | Photographs F. Martin Ramin The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SPARKS FLY The holidays are prime time to appreciate candlelight, and to decorate with the accessories that go with it. STRIKING A MATCH produces more than just flame and smoke. The move echoes eons of religious ceremonies and rituals; it triggers memories of burning cedar, and lips sticky from melted marshmallows. Especially during the year’s dimmest days, candlelight faithfully ushers warmth into our drafty rooms. “When it’s dark, depressing and cold outside, you want it uplifting inside,” said Estelle Bailey-Babenzien, founder of New York City interior design studio Dream Awake.

☆ Australia argues against ‘endangered’ status for Great Barrier Reef
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s environment minister said Tuesday her government will lobby against UNESCO adding the Great Barrier Reef to a list of endangered World Heritage sites. The report, which recommended shifting the Great Barrier Reef to endangered status, followed a 10-day mission in March to the famed reef system off Australia’s northeast coast that was added to the World Heritage list in 1981. “We’ll very clearly make the point to UNESCO that there is no need to single the Great Barrier Reef out in this way” with an endangered listing, Plibersek told reporters. “If the Great Barrier Reef is in danger, then every coral reef in the world is in danger,” Plibersek said. The Great Barrier Reef accounts for around 10% of the world’s coral reef ecosystems.

☆ China poses increasing threat in military space race, top U.S. general says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Long March-7 Y3 carrier rocket carrying the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on May 29, 2021 in Wenchang, Hainan Province of China. Rapid advancements in China's military capabilities pose increasing risks to American supremacy in outer space, the head of the United States military's space wing said on Monday. Nina Armagno, director of staff of the U.S. Space Force, said Beijing had made significant progress in developing military space technology, including in areas such as satellite communications and re-useable spacecraft, which allow countries to rapidly scale up their space programs. Along with Russia, China has also conducted "reckless" missile tests that have created dangerous amounts of space debris in recent years, Armagno said. "These debris fields threatened all of our systems in space, and these systems are vital to all nations' security, economic and scientific interests," she said.

☆ Great Barrier Reef should be put on 'in danger' list, UN panel says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Australia's Great Barrier Reef should be listed as a world heritage site that is "in danger", a UN panel recommended on Tuesday, saying the world's biggest coral reef ecosystem was significantly impacted by climate change and warming of oceans. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the government would push UNESCO to not list the reef as endangered because climate change was threatening all coral reefs across the world. "We'll clearly make the point to UNESCO that there is no need to single the Great Barrier Reef out in this way," Plibersek said during a media briefing. The independent Great Barrier Reef Foundation said it was already aware of the series of threats identified in the UN report but the recommendation to add the reef to the endangered list was premature. "The Great Barrier Reef is a wonder, she's got her challenges, but she's definitely not on her last legs in any case," Managing Director Anna Marsden told Reuters.

☆ Zero-Based Budgeting, Currency Hedges Among the Tools CFOs Can Use to Weather Headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

One area to which finance chiefs scouting for efficiencies have turned is zero-based budgeting, a tool that gained popularity early in the pandemic and requires finance executives to question and justify each line item in every new budget period. Reese’s peanut-butter cup maker Hershey Co., based in Pennsylvania, regularly goes through every line of its profit and loss statement, Finance Chief Steve Voskuil said. Detroit-based General Motors Co. is slowing and in some areas even freezing hiring, and homing in on other fixed costs, Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson has said. Facing high inflation and an uncertain outlook, finance chiefs are using zero-based budgeting to lower expenses in areas including operations, real estate, logistics, sales and marketing. Finance executives at large U.S. companies, including Coca-Cola Co. and materials-science company Dow Inc., are increasing their foreign-currency hedges and covering longer time periods.

☆ The Disney CFO Who Raised Concerns About Bob Chapek Has Respect on the Street
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Nina Trentmann | Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Christine McCarthy, Walt Disney Co. ’s longtime finance chief, took an unusual step when she expressed a lack of confidence in the chief executive to directors of the entertainment giant. But Ms. McCarthy had raised concerns to Disney directors, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CFO Journal The Morning Ledger provides daily news and insights on corporate finance from the CFO Journal team. Following the leadership shake-up, Disney faces a challenge to regain trust from the street and Ms. McCarthy needs to realign with her old and new chief executive Mr. Iger, analysts said. Age 67, Ms. McCarthy is likely to stay on while Mr. Iger reviews Disney’s strategy and searches for another successor to himself, analysts said.

Search resuls for: "nina"

25 mentions found