DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

This is Matt Weinberger, deputy editor of Insider's tech analysis team and your host for today. The one port in this particular storm is Apple, which is still the only major tech company not to do layoffs in recent weeks. Mark Zuckerberg just ushered in a new era of tech. In recent months, layoffs have swept just about every major tech company (except, notably, Apple). Enter Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook's parent company Meta, who officially rang in the new era on Wednesday when he declared that 2023 would be the "year of efficiency" at the social network.

☆ TikTok-based HR conversations are coming for a new generation of workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Mikaela Cohen | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"Content on TikTok accesses the younger generation in a direct way, so HR teams can set up space to communicate things like, 'How do we deal with discrimination?'" "That's just not how the younger generations communicate," Folan said. This also helps HR teams facilitate an open dialogue with employees in a faster way. It might even benefit an HR team to carve out an entire position, or even allow existing employees to dedicate time solely to TikTok content creation. Folan said HR teams, and any team within a company, stands to benefit from having younger workers to level up their internal communication methods and branch into spaces, like TikTok creation.

☆ Biden's student loan forgiveness plan heads to the Supreme Court. How that affects the payment pause
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Littlebee80 | Istock | Getty ImagesIt's been nearly three years since most people with federal student loans have had to make a payment on their education debt. Most recently, amid legal challenges to the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan, the government told borrowers they'd get even more time. Student debt bills may not resume for monthsAnother payment pause extension is possibleIt's a time of uncertainty for the federal student loan system. Throughout the pandemic, there have been a lot of changes to the companies that service federal student loans. And then there's the fact that after three years without payments, millions of Americans have simply become accustomed to life without student debt bills.

☆ Leaked Amazon memo shows it only wants to hire students and new grads for entry-level software roles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But middle managers could be the latest layoff target in tech, especially after Mark Zuckerberg's latest reported comments. Leaked Amazon memo reveals new hiring strategy. The e-commerce giant is only hiring students and new grads for entry-level software positions, per an internal note reviewed by Insider. More on Amazon's latest hiring strategy here. The latest people moves in tech:An Amazon Web Services exec who was accused of gender discrimination is leaving, according to leaked docs.

☆ I've made $408,000 in 5 years running online courses on Teachable and Skillshare. Here's how I found my niche and landed clients.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

I started getting requests from customers to design fabric for them, for everything from handbags to backpacks to children's clothing. The website also gets a cut, but the amount depends on whether the design is for commercial or personal use. Clients would see my designs on these websites, search my name, and come to my website I'd created to show my portfolio. Having an ongoing income from clients buying my existing designs meant I could take a break when I needed to. When I felt better, I could create new artwork to upload to a website to sell more prints.

☆ U.S. opens embassy in Solomon Islands to counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view of ships and boats anchored at the harbour in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Gilmore Tana | iStock | Getty ImagesThe United States opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands on Thursday in its latest move to counter China's push into the Pacific. The embassy in the capital, Honiara, is starting small, with a chargé d'affaires, a couple of State Department staff and a handful of local employees. The U.S. State Department notified lawmakers early last year that China's growing influence in the region made reopening the Solomon Islands embassy a priority. The Solomon Islands switched allegiance from the self-ruled island of Taiwan to Beijing in 2019, threatening the close ties with the U.S. that date to World War II.

☆ Supreme Court challenges to Biden student loan plan hinge on overreach, financial harm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The law is a product of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and an earlier version of it provided relief to federal student loan borrowers impacted by the attacks. However, the states counter that the Heroes Act allows the Education secretary only to modify the federal student loan system to keep certain borrowers from being in a worse-off position with their loans because of a national emergency. In other words, higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz said, the states are asserting that Biden is using Covid as an excuse to pass his plan. The states also argue that Biden's plan would cause financial harm to their states, including a loss of profits for the companies that service federal student loans. The attorneys also denied the claim that the Biden administration was overstepping its authority, laying out the White House's argument that it is acting within the law under the Heroes Act of 2003.

☆ Billion-dollar startup plans to bring the dodo back from the dead, and claims it can also revive the woolly mammoth
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Colossal Biosciences, a biotech company, says it will aim to revive the dodo using gene editing. This is the latest attempt to revive extinct animals in the face of the biodiversity crisis. The bird is the latest in the collection of long-gone animals scientists at the company want to revive. The startup has previously said it plan to recreate the Tasmanian wolf and the woolly mammoth. A stuffed dodo bird at the Natural History Museum on February 5, 2013, in London, England.

☆ First-time homebuyers face a lose-lose scenario
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Matt Turner | Dave Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On the agenda today:But first: Our LA bureau chief Alison Brower has been at the Sundance Film Festival this week. Brooke Shields attends the 2023 Sundance Film Festival "Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields" Premiere at Eccles Center Theatre on January 20, 2023 in Park City, Utah. Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesIt was impossible not to feel optimistic about the state of independent film at the opening weekend of the 39th Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Insider's Alison Brower writes. The party scene was as lively as ever, anchored by HBO Documentary Films' annual shindig at Ruth's Chris Steak House. Many experts worry that without some type of major intervention, the obstacles facing first-time homebuyers will continue to get worse for years to come.

☆ Rent prices have dropped the most in these 5 U.S. metros. Why it's cheaper to rent than buy in many markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Indianapolis; Carmel, Indiana; Anderson, IndianaMedian rent at the end of 2021: $1,300Median rent at the end of 2022: $1,700Rent increase: 30.8% 2. New Haven, Connecticut; Milford, ConnecticutMedian rent at the end of 2021: $2,250Median rent at the end of 2022: $2,800Rent increase: 24.4% 4. Naples, Florida; Marco Island, FloridaMedian rent at the end of 2021: $5,200Median rent at the end of 2022: $6,448Rent increase: 24.0% 5. Memphis, TennesseeMedian rent at the end of 2021: $1,800Median rent at the end of 2022: $1,695Rent decrease: -5.8% 2. Palm Bay, Florida; Melbourne, Florida; Titusville, FloridaMedian rent at the end of 2021: $2,300Median rent at the end of 2022: $2,200Rent decrease: -4.3% 5.

☆ The Fair Tax Act, explained: what to know about the Republican plan for a national sales tax, decentralized IRS
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

John Miller | iStock | Getty ImagesA group of House Republicans are revisiting the Fair Tax Act, which would replace certain federal levies with a national sales tax and decentralize the IRS. Erica York Senior economist and research manager at the Tax FoundationThe Fair Tax Act comes amid increased scrutiny of the $79.6 billion in IRS funding, enacted through the Inflation Reduction Act in August. After months of critique, House Republicans in January voted to rescind the funding. A 'pretty significant' tax hike for the middle classWhile the Fair Tax Act isn't likely to gain traction in Congress, experts say the plan would be a significant change for middle-income earners and the wealthiest Americans. If enacted, middle-income earners would see a "pretty significant tax increase," and the wealthiest Americans would see the biggest cuts, according to John Buhl, senior communications manager at the Tax Policy Center.

☆ Trump's return to Instagram and Facebook could doom Truth Social
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Truth Social only just became available on Androids in October. Trump's return to social media spells doom for Truth Social. After the Capitol insurrection, former president Donald Trump was banned from a slew of social media platforms. Trump is contractually required to post on Truth Social before making the same post on another site for six hours. My colleague Beatrice Nolan breaks down the future of Truth Social and what it means for Trump's supporters.

☆ White House approves 16 million people for contested student loan forgiveness plan. Whether they see relief depends on Supreme Court decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Wirestock | Istock | Getty ImagesThe U.S. Department of Education has "fully approved" more than 16 million people for federal student loan forgiveness and sent their applications to loan servicers, the Biden administration announced Friday. The administration gave a state-by-state breakdown of the number of borrowers who have applied and been approved for its sweeping debt relief program, which is on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides its fate.

☆ How to find a job in the one tech market that is not seeing layoffs: Cybersecurity
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Sakorn Sukkasemsakorn | Istock | Getty ImagesStrong demand for cybersecurity workers is continuing even as big technology companies lay off thousands of employees. But with a supply-demand ratio currently at 68 workers per 100 job openings, the nearly 530,000 more cybersecurity workers need in the U.S. went up year over year. The total number of employed cybersecurity workers was estimated at 1.1 million, steady year over year. Lightcast says that public sector job demand trend isn't a one-year phenomenon, growing by 58% over the past three years in all. Related to that, the Washington, D.C. metro area accounted for 19% of all public sector domestic cybersecurity job listings.

☆ As layoffs pick up, here's what workers need to know about filing for unemployment benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Do I qualify for unemployment benefits? Generally, to be eligible for unemployment benefits you have to have been laid off through no fault of your own, Evermore said. Are unemployment benefits taxable? In the third quarter of 2022, the average weekly unemployment benefit was around $385. Will that impact my unemployment benefits?

☆ How 'Cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova ended up as the only woman on the FBI's most-wanted list
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Ruja Ignatova is one of the FBI's 10 most-wanted fugitives -- the only woman currently on that list. FBIShe is now one of the FBI’s 10 most-wanted fugitives, alongside accused gang leaders and murderers, and is the only woman currently on that list. The bureau declined to provide additional details to CNN beyond court documents from the US Department of Justice, which did not list an attorney for Ignatova. “The cryptocurrency OneCoin was established for the sole purpose of defrauding investors,” IRS Special Agent John R. Tafur said in a statement. Less than two weeks later, on October 25, 2017, she boarded a commercial flight from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, court documents said.

☆ 75% of retirees fall short of a key retirement income goal. These steps can help
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But many retirees fall short of that retirement income goal, according to research from Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The gap isn't surprising, considering that more than 40% who are still working say they are behind schedule on their retirement savings. "You have all these competing priorities that can crowd out retirement savings," said Mike Moran, senior pension strategist at Goldman Sachs. What to know about Social Security's 8.7% cost-of living adjustmentWhy applying for Social Security benefits with long Covid is tricky1. Delay claiming Social Security benefitsThe longer you wait to claim Social Security retirement benefits up to age 70, the bigger your monthly checks will be.

☆ Record high share in U.S. report delaying medical treatments due to costs — here's how you can save on health care
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Iona Studio | Istock | Getty ImagesMore people in the U.S. are deciding to hold off on medical care for financial reasons. That percentage is the highest since the polling organization began taking the measurement in 2001, at which point 19% of people answered they'd postponed health care because of money. Sometimes, doctors leave a network, McClanahan said, so you want to check this again if you haven't seen a provider in some time. Your deductible is the amount you have to pay for your health care before your coverage kicks in. If you reach your deductible, you might want to squeeze in other care or treatments within the same year to cut costs, McClanahan said.

☆ The promising new Alzheimer's drugs to watch — and the far-out ideas that could reshape how we treat the disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But amid some positive news, companies focused on Alzheimer's have said they've received an influx of investor interest. In trials, Leqembi was found to slow the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in Alzheimer's patients over 18 months. Eli Lilly's drug donanemab is expected to have data soon but just faced a setback from the FDAEli Lilly's donanemab is the focus of a late-stage trial. In the first half of this year, Eli Lilly is expected to release data for its Alzheimer's drug donanemab, which is being tested in a late-stage trial. Getty ImagesAduhelm, the first Alzheimer's drug to be approved in 18 years, was OK'd by the FDA in 2021 but has faced controversy.

☆ Photos show 10 mummified crocodiles found in an Egyptian tomb, likely after being sacrificed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A ancient Egyptian tomb was uncovered containing ten mummified crocodiles. The tomb's contents was likely sacrificed for the crocodile-headed god Sobek. The leading theory is that the crocodiles were sacrificed as an offering to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god of the Nile and fertility. Sobek, the crocodile-headed god of fertilitySobek, the crocodile-headed god of fertility, is shown in hieroglyphs in Kom Ombo, southern Egypt. "In theory, it was an area where there was not much devotion to the crocodile god Sobek."

☆ China's economy will be 'on fire' in the second half of 2023, StanChart chairman says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Andy Feng | iStock Editorial | Getty ImagesChina's economy will be "on fire" in the second half of 2023 as the economic performance of East and West diverges, according to Standard Chartered Chairman José Viñals. The reopening of the Chinese economy following several years of strict "zero-Covid" measures has buoyed sentiment among economists that the global growth and inflation picture may be less bleak than initially feared this year. OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann earlier this week said the reopening was "overwhelmingly positive" in the global fight to tackle sky-high inflation. The reopening has proven tricky, with China reporting a huge rise in Covid cases and deaths in recent weeks. Viñals said the structural improvements that helped insulate many EM economies would also enable them to flourish in years to come.

☆ More student loan borrowers may have $0 payments under Biden's new plan. What you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Silverkblack | Istock | Getty ImagesIn the new student loan repayment plan proposal rolled out this month by the Biden administration, more borrowers could see their monthly payments drop to $0. The new REPAYE plan could officially be available July 1, 2024, according to higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. Yet under the new proposal, those who have fallen behind may be able to sign up for the income-based repayment plan, another one of the income-driven repayment plan options. Borrowers will need to enrollOnce the new REPAYE plan is available, borrowers can call their student loan servicer to enroll in the option, or apply at StudentAid.gov. The pandemic-era relief policy suspending federal student loan bills and the accrual of interest has been in effect since March 2020.

☆ A leaked Google memo compared it to slime mold
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It's like the start of a joke: What do Google and slime mold have in common? A lot, says a memo from an ex-Googler comparing the org to a "slime mold." (A key difference: Stanford grads aren't desperate to intern at a slime mold.) But with ChatGPT setting off alarm bells inside and outside the org, Google should probably move faster and with more intention than slime mold. The most memorable part of the memo compares Google's bottom-up organizational structure to a "slime mold," highlighting how both Google and a slime mold can work independently but still come together to solve complex problems.

☆ Don't forget about your old 401(k) if you quit a job or are laid off. What departing workers need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Peopleimages | Istock | Getty ImagesWhether you're leaving your job by choice or not, don't forget about your 401(k) plan. You have three basic choices for an old 401(k)Broadly speaking, you have several options for your old 401(k). Basically, finding old 401(k) accounts can be tricky if you lose track of them. Some large 401(k) plan administrators — Fidelity Investments, Vanguard Group and Alight Solutions — also have teamed up to offer their own lost and found. Be aware that if you have a Roth 401(k), it can only be transferred to another Roth account.

☆ Morgan Stanley's Q4 results show the Club holding is firing on all cylinders, as the stock soars
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Those deals — valued at roughly $13 billion and $7 billion, respectively — pushed Morgan Stanley further into the money management world. Expense efficiency ratio is a measure of efficiency that is calculated as total non-interest expenses divided by net revenue. Segment results Institutional securities net revenue of $4.8 billion for the fourth quarter missed analysts' forecasts of nearly $5.09 billion. Wealth management net revenue of $6.63 billion for the quarter exceeded Wall Street's expectations of $6.29 billion. Investment management net revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter outpaced the $1.29 billion consensus estimate.

Search resuls for: "iStock"

25 mentions found