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☆ A convicted Ponzi schemer whose sentence Trump commuted after an intense lobbying push is now being charged with defrauding investors, again
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Prosecutors say that a convicted Ponzi schemer that Trump got out of prison defrauded people again. Trump's commutation of Weinstein's sentence was one of his final acts as president. Federal prosecutors said on Wednesday that shortly after Trump helped him get released, Weinstein concocted another scheme. Trump's commutation of Weinstein's sentence led to his release after serving less than eight years of a 24-year sentence. Prosecutors allege it did not take Weinstein very long to get back to defrauding investors.

Persons: Trump, Eliyahu, Eli, Weinstein, Donald Trump, James E, Dennehy, commutations, Alan Dershowitz, White, Mark Meadows, Jeff Van Drew, Barry Wachsler, Weinstein's, convicting Weinstein, I'm, Grewal, Eli Weinstein Organizations: Prosecutors, Service, Newark FBI, New York Times, Trump, Republican, Times, United, Twitter, COVID Locations: Wall, Silicon, New Jersey, United States, Ukraine

☆ Convicted Ponzi schemer granted clemency by Trump charged with new Ponzi scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Christina Wilkie | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — A New Jersey man who had his prison sentence for running a massive Ponzi scheme commuted by Donald Trump on the final day of his presidency was charged Wednesday with orchestrating a similar scheme. Eli Weinstein and four accomplices are accused of overseeing a new Ponzi scheme that prosecutors say has defrauded 150 victims out of more than $35 million. The first came in 2013, when he pleaded guilty to 45 counts of fraud and conspiracy for stealing over $200 million from investors. In 2015, he pleaded guilty in a second case, this time to committing wire fraud while he was on trial for the Ponzi scheme. Weinstein had served eight years of his 24-year prison sentence when Trump granted him clemency in 2021, as one of 143 people who received either pardons or commutations during Trump's final hours in office.

Persons: Donald Trump, WASHINGTON, Eli Weinstein, Weinstein, Trump, Alan Dershowitz Organizations: New York Times, Trump Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, New Jersey, Trump

☆ Apple’s new challenge: making VR headsets look cool
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But behind this speculation is a more serious potential problem: even Apple may struggle to make VR headsets look cool. The new headset, which blends both virtual reality and augmented reality, is Apple’s most ambitious – and riskiest – new hardware product in years. In one early marketing image, a woman is shown wearing the headset while dressed in very chic clothing and lounging in an upscale living room. Apple’s silhouette ads in the early 2000s somehow managed to make not just iPods look cool, but also wired headphones. People use phones as Apple's Vision Pro headsets are on display at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California, U.S. June 5, 2023.

Persons: Tim Cook, Palmer Luckey, Oculus, memed, It’s, Robert Scoble, Larry Page, “ Robert, “ They’re, ” Lisa Peyton, “, Loren Elliott Loren Elliott, Reuters “, ” Marcus Collins, Collins, “ you’re, Alan Dye, it’s, ”, ” Peyton, “ It’s, they’ll Organizations: New, New York CNN, Apple, Facebook, Google, University of Oregon, CNN, Developers, REUTERS, Reuters, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan Locations: New York, —, Cupertino , California, U.S

☆ I tried Apple’s new headset. Here’s what it’s like to use
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The headset blends both virtual reality and augmented reality, a technology that overlays virtual images on live video of the real world. The new Apple Vision Pro headset is displayed during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 05, 2023 in Cupertino, California. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the annual WWDC23 developer conference with the announcement of the new Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. During another demo, an Apple employee wearing a Vision Pro headset FaceTimed me from the other side of campus. The Vision Pro has the potential to do all of that in an even more striking way.

Persons: I’d, Alicia Keys, Tim Cook, Apple, Justin Sullivan, “, Alan Dye, else’s, ”, Cook, Bob Iger Organizations: CNN, Apple, Apple Vision, Apple Worldwide, Vision Pro, Vision, Hollywood, Disney, Geographic, Marvel, ESPN, Apple Watch Locations: Cupertino , California

☆ Apple to sell Vision Pro AR headset for triple Meta's top-line price
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/4] People use cameras as Apple's Vision Pro headsets are on display at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California, U.S. June 5, 2023. Apple's headset will be available early next year in the U.S. with more countries coming later in 2024. The Vision Pro has two hours of use with an external battery, which Apple said would reduce the weight on the user's head. Investors and tech fans alike are focused on how much Apple's view of the virtual reality market overlaps with Meta's. In addition to Meta, Sony Group Corp (6758.T) and ByteDance-owned Pico both recently released virtual reality devices.

Persons: Loren Elliott CUPERTINO, Apple, Alan Dye, Tim Cook, Walt Disney's, Mark Zuckerberg, there's, John Ternus, Apple's, Craig Federighi, Stephen Nellis, Yuvraj Malik, Dawn Chmielewski, Katie Paul, Peter Henderson, Aditya Soni, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Developers, REUTERS, Apple Inc, Pro, Apple, Vision, Reuters, Adobe, Microsoft, Unity, Meta, Sony Group Corp, Pico, Research, IDC, Mac Pro, Mac, Intel, Thomson Locations: Cupertino , California, U.S, Loren Elliott CUPERTINO , California, Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Apple's new headset lets you see your surroundings with breakthrough 'EyeSight' tech — here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple announced its Vision Pro headset on Monday at the company's WWDC 2023. Vision Pro will cost $3,499 and is set to become available early next year. When someone approaches a Vision Pro user, the headset brings them into the user's field of vision, while at the same time displaying the user's eyes. At the moment EyeSight is not currently available in competitors, like Meta's Quest 3, which was announced just days before Apple's Vision Pro. Apple said Monday Vision Pro will be available in early 2024, while the Quest 3 comes out this fall.

Persons: Alan Dye, Apple Organizations: Apple, Apple Watch, Vision, Vision Pro, Apple's Locations: Cupertino , California

☆ Nvidia's founders came up their trillion-dollar idea while spending hours drinking Denny's coffee and eating Grand Slam breakfasts: 'We were not good customers'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nvidia's cofounders told WSJ they came up with the idea for the company over breakfast at Denny's. The company, worth $1 trillion, makes graphics cards for gaming and chips that power AI tech. Nvidia with well-positioned to profit off the AI arms race, Insider previously reported. "We were not good customers," Nvidia cofounder Chris Malachowsky told the Journal. You can read more about Nvidia's founding over at The Wall Street Journal.

Persons: Nvidia's cofounders, Nvidia cofounders Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, Curtis Priem, Huang, Alan Diaz, Bard, Matthew Fox, Mark Zuckerberg's, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak Organizations: Nvidia, Morning, Wall Street, WPP, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard, Apple, Jobs Locations: San Jose , California

☆ Smartmatic subpoenas Donald Trump's former campaign in lawsuit against Fox News over 2020 election conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump's lawyers defamed Smartmatic with election conspiracy theories, Smartmatic says. They seek communications and files from Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., Trump's campaign vehicle for the 2016 and 2020 elections. In the subpoenas, Smartmatic asks for all communications regarding Smartmatic or Dominion — a rival election technology company also caught up in conspiracy theories — in connection with Fox News and Newsmax around the time of the 2020 election. They also ask for communication regarding appearances by Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, two attorneys who advanced the conspiracy theories on behalf of the Trump campaign. The subpoenas indicate that Smartmatic seeks to penetrate the inner workings of Trump's campaign operation to understand their links with right-wing media organizations.

Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William. Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla Prev NextShe reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.

[1/5] A full-sized humanoid robot named ARTEMIS is shown at UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, where mechanical engineering students developed a first of its kind robot in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 13, 2023. Standing at 4 feet, 8 inches tall (142 centimeters) and weighing 85 pounds (38 kg), ARTEMIS is a first-of-its-kind robot that University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) mechanical engineers developed, and it is ready for the pitch. ARTEMIS’ actuators are also unique in that they are electrically driven, rather than controlled by hydraulics. RoMeLa student Justin Quan said his personal goal is engineering robots that improve people's lives. "Seeing these robots helping push the robot technology to that next level is really rewarding because you're like, oh, the dream, it gets closer," he said.

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - The Biden administration said Tuesday it is seeking public comments on potential accountability measures for artificial intelligence (AI) systems as questions loom about its impact on national security and education. The agency wants to know if there are measures that could be put in place to provide assurance "that AI systems are legal, effective, ethical, safe, and otherwise trustworthy." “Responsible AI systems could bring enormous benefits, but only if we address their potential consequences and harms. President Joe Biden last week said it remained to be seen whether AI is dangerous. "Tech companies have a responsibility, in my view, to make sure their products are safe before making them public," he said.

☆ If Trump's mugshot is made public it would cement him as an 'outlaw' and could make him a folk hero like Al Capone, presidential historian says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

If Trump's mugshot is made public, it could turn him into a folk hero, historian Douglas Brinkley says. New York law generally bars the release of mugshots but it's possible that Trump's could be leaked. During an episode of his YouTube show "Justice Matters" on Thursday, legal analyst Glenn Kirschner suggested that Trump's mugshot "will become publicly available pretty promptly." If the public does get a chance to see the mugshot, it would cement Trump's status as an "outlaw" among presidents and could make him a folk hero for some Americans, Brinkley said. "But Trump fits very easily into a narrative of folk heroes, like outlaw folk heroes like Al Capone and Dillinger, Billy the Kid."

☆ Los Angeles education strike cancels school for 420,000 students
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Alan Devall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] Los Angeles school workers protest in front of LAUSD headquarters during the first day of a walkout over contract negotiations that closes the country’s second largest school system in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciLOS ANGELES, March 21 (Reuters) - Some 30,000 education workers backed by the teachers' union walked off the job for a three-day strike in Los Angeles on Tuesday, canceling school for nearly half a million students in the second-largest school district in the United States. Thousands of protesters gathered for a rally outside the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters, vowing to continue their pickets for another two days under the banner, "United for L.A. The service workers are backed by the 35,000 members of the teachers' union United Teachers Los Angeles, which refused to cross their picket line. Dozens of meal and safe-place sites were opened across the city on Tuesday, with school district employees and volunteers distributing more than 124,000 meals, the district said.

☆ Biden administration looks to free up wireless spectrum for advanced technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday launched an effort to identify significant wireless spectrum that can be repurposed for advanced technology needs and soaring U.S. wireless demand. The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is developing a National Spectrum Strategy with a goal to identify at least 1,500 megahertz of spectrum to study for potential new uses. The strategy will address current and future spectrum needs, including fixed and mobile wireless broadband, next-generation satellite communications and other space-based systems; advanced transportation; and industrial and commercial applications. Congress last week let the FCC's authority to auction wireless spectrum lapse for the first time in three decades, prompting some lawmakers to quickly restore the authority that has raised more than $200 billion in proceeds for the U.S. government. "We've got 6G networks coming, new mega-constellations of satellites, connected automobiles, the internet of things - all of that demands new uses of spectrum," Davidson said.

☆ Biden administration looks to free up wireless spectrum for advance technology needs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 15 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday is launching an effort to identify significant wireless spectrum that can be repurposed for advanced technology needs and soaring U.S. wireless demand. The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is developing a National Spectrum Strategy with a goal to identify at least 1,500 megahertz of spectrum to study for potential new uses. The strategy will address current and future spectrum needs, including fixed and mobile wireless broadband, next-generation satellite communications and other space-based systems; advanced transportation; and industrial and commercial applications. Congress last week let the FCC's authority to auction wireless spectrum lapse for the first time in three decades, prompting some lawmakers to quickly restore the authority that has raised more than $200 billion in proceeds for the U.S. government. "We've got 6G networks coming, new mega-constellations of satellites, connected automobiles, the internet of things - all of that demands new uses of spectrum," Davidson said.

☆ Exclusive: First Quantum warns employees that Panama mine may close if dispute is not settled
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Valentine Hilaire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A long-running contract dispute between the Canadian miner and Panama officials centers on disagreements over tax rates and royalties at the Cobre Panama mine. In the latest twist, Panama's maritime authority last month ordered First Quantum to suspend copper concentrate loading operations at a major port, essentially blocking the company from shipping and selling its copper. The Vancouver-based company said the maritime authority had told it that the suspension was due to the scale it was using not being properly calibrated. "If concentrate is not shipped by next week, these technical frustrations may force Cobre Panama to enter care and maintenance or suspend operations," he said. Panama's maritime authority did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Long a source of pride, Canada's publicly funded healthcare system has been strained to the breaking point due to factors including the pandemic and staffing shortages. Here are some of the issues facing Canada's health system:WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES? A shortage of healthcare workers fueled in part by burnout and attrition has plagued Canada's hospitals, clinics and primary care resources. Total health spending in Canada was expected to reach C$331 billion in 2022, or C$8,563 per Canadian, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. This could include improvements in data collection and the provision of mental health care, among other things.

The White House will likely appoint Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard to run the National Economic Council and Jared Bernstein to lead the Council of Economic Advisers, sources familiar with the matter tell CNBC. The appointments are expected to be announced after incoming White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients assumes his role, as soon as next week. Bernstein is a member of the board he is expected to head, the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The White House is holding a ceremony on Wednesday to thank outgoing White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and welcome Zients to the position. Current White House NEC Director Brian Deese is expected to depart imminently, sources said.

☆ Gerard Piqué goes Instagram official with Clara Chia Marti after Shakira split
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Mara Leighton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Gerard Piqué went Instagram-official with 23-year-old Clara Chia Marti after his split with Shakira. The pop star released a diss track seemingly aimed at Piqué in January, which broke a YouTube record. In August, photos published by the Daily Mail of Piqué and Clara Chia Marti seemed to confirm the couple's romance about three months after his split from 45-year-old Shakira. On January 15, a video appearing to show Piqué driving a Twingo to a press conference was posted to Twitter. In November, the former couple reached a custody agreement in which their two children would move to Miami with Shakira.

☆ Prince Andrew wants to overturn his multi-million settlement with Virginia Giuffre. Experts say it's a 'foolhardy effort.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Prince Andrew wants to overturn his settlement with Virginia Giuffre, according to news reports. Giuffre claims Epstein sex-trafficked her to Andrew when she was 17 years old. Representatives for the prince and Giuffre did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment on Wednesday. Overall, Filitti described the idea of trying to overturn the settlement as a "foolhardy effort." "If Prince Andrew wants to rehabilitate his image, perhaps he should do so in a way that doesn't remind the public about the seamier aspects of his private life," Filitti said.

☆ Canada's First Quantum could suspend Panama jobs due to government order to halt operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Valentine Hilaire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PANAMA CITY, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Canada-based miner First Quantum would suspend a "significant amount" of jobs at its operations in Panama if the Central American government forces it to halt operations during a contract dispute, the company said in a letter. "If we have to reduce operations to care and maintenance mode, the company will need to take steps to reduce expenditure across the business. We could be forced to suspend a significant amount of our valued workforce," the letter sent to employees and seen by Reuters said. The company's Cobre Panama mine generates about 40,000 direct and indirect jobs and interacts with some 1,800 suppliers, according to a consultant. A spokesperson for the government did not reply to a request for comment on the timetable for the order.

☆ A mysterious 'Doe 183' is trying to keep Jeffrey Epstein documents under seal. Could it be Les Wexner?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"In the court's view, there's no reason to redact Doe 183 from the documents." And when Insider asked that lawyer about his work for Doe 183, a representative for Wexner responded, declining to comment. But if Doe 183 wins their fight to keep the documents redacted, their name and the context surrounding it would remain behind those blacked-out lines. While he never identified himself verbally, the transcript's cover sheet identifies him as an attorney representing Doe 183. Of those 21 documents, there are seven docket entries where Doe 183 is the sole Doe mentioned.

☆ Analysis: Will Netanyahu clip the wings of his new cabinet hawks?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Both are West Bank settlers averse to Palestinians' self-rule - let alone their hopes of statehood. Netanyahu's previous 15 years as premier saw him feathering the nests of the hawks in his cabinet - or clipping their wings - as he deemed necessary. But that may have to wait, as Ben-Gvir's portfolio does not grant major powers in the West Bank, which is under the overall control of the military. Arguably, Ben-Gvir, 46, and Smotrich, 42, can afford to shelve some of their agendas for this round with Netanyahu, 73. Smotrich's advocacy of Jewish claims on the West Bank is informed by a doctrinaire faith in Bible prophesy.

☆ Australian police investigate extremist views of cop killers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Australian police are investigating the extremist views of three people who shot and killed two officers and a neighbor at a rural property before they were killed hours later by police in a gunfight. “It’s very difficult at the moment for us to reason with what has happened, there are no obvious reasons,” Carroll told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Four officers arrived at the property in the town of Wieambilla, in Queensland state, to investigate reports of a missing person. “We know that this news has fallen hard on a close-knit and caring Queensland community. The killers have been identified as former school principal Nathaniel Train, 47, his brother Gareth, 46, and sister-in-law Stacey, 45.

☆ Housing Costs, Inflation’s Biggest Component, Are Poised to Ease
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Gwynn Guilford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The end is in sight for one of the biggest sources of inflation. Surging housing costs helped keep inflation high this year but have likely already swung into reverse, economists say. The signal comes from private-sector indexes of rents on new leases, which tend to lead the consumer-price index measures by a little less than a year, said Alan Detmeister, economist at UBS .

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