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☆ Inflation is cooling, but the price hikes aren’t done
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Lucy Bayly | Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Inflation in the United States has unquestionably cooled after hitting 40-year highs last year. Other key inflation gauges, the more comprehensive Personal Consumption Expenditures price index and the wholesale-focused Producer Price Index, have moderated as well. A spike in gas prices and other components such as persistently high shelter costs have kept inflation elevated. The locally owned Walnut Group restaurant company closed its venerable Mediterranean Restaurant (fondly called The Med), the French bistro Brasserie Ten Ten and the newer Italian entrant Via Perla. Courtesy Tim Romano PhotographyAlthough Brasserie Ten Ten had a nearly two-decade run before its closure, it was like starting a brand new restaurant, Hessel said.

Persons: Marlon Pando, White Lotus, Tony Hessel, he’s, Jerome Powell, Brandon Bell, —, ”, Lydia Boussour, United States —, Pando, “, Price, Frederic J . Brown, Mark Zandi, Chase Castor, hadn’t, Holly Wade, Peggy Romano, Romano, Brasserie, Tim Romano, Hessel, ” Hessel, you’ve, it’s Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, Disney, Mexican Grill, White, Getty, Moody’s, National Federation of Independent, Washington Post, NFIB Research, shocker, Walnut Group, Via Perla Locations: Minneapolis, New Jersey, Boulder , Colorado, United States, Mexican, Austin , Texas, Alhambra , California, AFP, Marion , Kansas, —, Walnut

☆ This Science-Fiction Writer Thinks AI Needs Its Own Body
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Matt Wirz | Photography Chase Castor For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/this-science-fiction-writer-thinks-ai-needs-its-own-body-740bcaf6

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Inside Tampa's plan to build more affordable housing as the city's popularity explodes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Those worries are pushing the city to look for ways to get developers to build more housing — including affordable units, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told Insider. In order to ease the hardships that some residents are facing, Castor said the city is incentivizing developers to increase housing supply generally. An influx of residents has helped drive up housing prices Tampa. Typically, such arrangements let builders move ahead with projects if development plans include affordable or workforce housing.

Persons: Jane Castor, somethings, Castor, it's, Walter Bibikow Organizations: Service, Tampa, Getty Images Locations: Tampa, Florida, Wall, Silicon, Austin , Texas, San Francisco, Rent.com, Clearwater Beach, Ixefra, Getty Images Tampa

☆ Woman Who Mailed Ricin to Trump Is Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jesus Jiménez | More About Jesus Jiménez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ms. Ferrier said in her statement that she viewed her actions “as a work of activism.”“I believed that the legal system of justice was not working,” she said. “I felt that a strong message had to be sent in order to stop what I saw as tyrannical behaviors. A sentencing memo said that Ms. Ferrier “appears to suffer from mental health issues,” and that she should be further evaluated for mental health treatment. Ms. Ferrier is not the first to try to kill a United States president with ricin. In 2014, a man admitted to having sent a letter with ricin to President Barack Obama.

Persons: Ferrier, “, ” “, ”, ” Ms, Prosecutors, Ferrier “, ricin, Barack Obama Organizations: Justice Department, United, ricin, Centers for Disease Control Locations: United States

☆ US lawmakers call on FIFA to recognize exiled Afghanistan women's soccer team
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers called on FIFA to recognize the exiled Afghanistan women's soccer team, in a letter sent to the sport's international governing body on Friday. The Afghan women's team launched a petition at the end of July, calling on FIFA to recognize them as representatives of their country. The Afghan men's team continues to be recognized by the organization. The letter comes as the FIFA Women's World Cup enters its final weeks, the highest attended in the organization's history. Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; additional reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Don Bacon, Darin LaHood, Kathy Castor, Rick Larsen, Moira Warburton, Amy Tennery, Toby Chopra Organizations: FIFA, Afghanistan women's soccer, Taliban, Congressional Soccer Caucus, Republican, Afghan, Thomson Locations: U.S, Afghanistan, Australia, Washington, New York

☆ Tampa Mayor Jane Castor makes $1.1M cocaine catch while fishing in Florida Keys with family
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Rebekah Riess | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Tampa Mayor Jane Castor made a big catch while fishing the Florida Keys with family late last month, spotting and hauling in a package containing 70 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of approximately $1.1 million, according to the mayor’s office. The package was discovered south of Marathon on July 23, according to US Border Patrol. US Border PatrolThe packaging contained 25 bricks of cocaine, according to Border Patrol. Before her current role as mayor, Castor “spent 31 years with the Tampa Police Department, serving in nearly every capacity and in nearly every neighborhood of the city. In October of 2009, Castor became Tampa’s first female Chief of Police, serving for six years in that role,” according to her bio on the city of Tampa website.

Persons: Jane Castor, Castor, Adam Hoffner, Castor “, Tampa’s Organizations: CNN, Tampa, US Border, Office, Border Patrol, Miami Sector, Sheriff’s Office, Patrol, Tampa Police Department, Police Locations: Florida, Marathon, Monroe, Tampa

If you're part of the many facing the summer heat without an HVAC system installed, portable air conditioners are cheaper alternatives that can help you stay cool and comfortable. This Whynter 14,000-BTU portable air conditioner does just that for a comparably affordable price, even more so with $100 off at Amazon, dropping the price of what we consider the best portable air conditioner for large rooms to $499. This portable air conditioner is cheap compared to HVACsDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal Whynter ARC-14S Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner The Whynter ARC-14S Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner may be big and not as portable as other units, but it did the best job of cooling a 550-square-foot room in Insider tests. $499.00 from Amazon Originally $599.99 Save 17%Heat waves don't require thousand-dollar solutionsDesigned to keep large rooms cool and comfortable, the Whynter ARC-14S portable air conditioner can service rooms up to 550 square feet and was the best at cooling large rooms in our tests.

Organizations: ARC, Amazon

☆ In Paris, a Dinner at a Former Taxidermy Workshop
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Julia Sherman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Though far smaller in scale, the debut of We Are Ona’s Paris studio, on a crisp evening in spring, felt just as significant. As the sun set, friends began to trickle in, accepting glasses of celebratory champagne. Kenny Duncan, 35, a sculptor, found common ground with the chef Zélikha Dinga, 34, whose old-world desserts are presented with an artist’s eye. Behind her was an oil painting of a young woman in tears, a self-portrait by her dinner partner, the artist Inès Longevial, 32. “Four hundred people sat on 400 one-of-a-kind chairs,” Pronzato said.

Persons: Pronzato, Ona, Rihanna, Sayaka Sawaguchi, Gil Nogueira, Garde, Louis, Géraud Castor, Castor, Sébastien Meyer, Arnaud Vaillant, Mory Sacko, Louis Vuitton, Tropez, Kenny Duncan, Zélikha Dinga, Celine Pham, Inès Longevial, ”, he’s, Gaetano Pesce, ” Pronzato, “, — Organizations: Perron, Cartier, Louis, Reform Locations: Los Angeles, Champagne, Coperni, St ., Inari, Arles, Italian

☆ The cult of Emily Oster
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Sarah Todd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

Emily Oster is sitting in the back of a car, checking her Garmin watch as we lurch through rush-hour traffic toward the Holland Tunnel. A self-described expert in data, Oster uses her economics training to dig into studies on things like circumcision and screen time and translate them for popular consumption. There doesn't seem to be much of a gap between the way Oster presents herself in her books and newsletters and the way she conducts her life. Unsurprisingly, economics informs every aspect of the way Oster sees the world. When Oster was a toddler, her mother told a Yale colleague that Oster often talked to herself before falling asleep.

Persons: Emily Oster, doesn't, Oster, Taylor Swift, Spock, —, Mandy Moore, Emily DiDonato, Amy Schumer, " Oster, Emily, Aisha McAdams, Claudia Goldin, who's, Lori Feldman, " Feldman, Winter, It's, reopenings, Timothy Caulfield, Oster's Brown, OSTER, She's, Sheryl Sandberg's, Brown, Denis Tangney Jr, graham, Eminem, Sharon Oster, Ray Fair, Jesse Shapiro, Katherine Nelson, Carl, Choate Rosemary Hall, John F, Kennedy, Glenn Close, Ivanka Trump, Goldin, Steven Levitt —, Oster —, Paul Farmer, Steven Levitt, Oster's, Levitt, Robert Barro, demographer Monica Das Gupta, Joseph Delaney, she'd, I've, Matt Notowidigdo, Chicago Booth, hadn't, Udo Salters, Patrick McMullan, Shapiro, Jessica Calarco, Dr, Anthony Fauci, Donald Trump, Calarco, Rochelle Walensky, Delaney, University of Manitoba epidemiologist, Abigail Cartus, Justin Feldman, Delivette Castor, they're, COVID, Castor, Notowidigdo, Carter, you'd, she's, there's Organizations: Garmin, Brown University, New York Times, American Academy of Pediatrics, Yorker, Yale School of Management, Yale, Harvard, Connecticut, Choate, University of Chicago, Forbes, Wall, Publicly, University of Manitoba, Getty, Oster, Centers for Disease Control, Columbia University, Harvard Business School Locations: Holland, Montclair , New Jersey, Montclair, Harvard, Providence , Rhode Island, New Haven , Connecticut, China, Canada, Chicago, Ohio, New Jersey

☆ In Branson, Missouri, a Two-Wheeled Fix for the Commuter Blues
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Richard Fausset | Chase Castor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WHY WE’RE HEREWe’re exploring how America defines itself one place at a time. In this Midwest tourist town, a housing crisis has led to creative transportation solutions. Eventually, she was evicted, her car was repossessed, and she found herself living at first in the woods, and later in one of the old motels around the city’s gaudy entertainment strip. By some estimates, close to 20 percent of the people living in Branson are homeless or staying in motels. They are workers and drifters, service industry strivers and worn-down honky-tonkers, some struggling with addiction, some raising children under trying circumstances.

Persons: Christie Schubert, Schubert Locations: Branson, Mo, America

☆ Lawmakers press companies that collect U.S. consumer data to reveal how they buy and sell it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In the letters, 10 lawmakers asked the companies for detailed responses on the types of sensitive information they gather, such as health, location and phone data, including apps consumers download to their devices. The companies were also asked what information they collect on minors. Last month, the subcommittee on oversight and investigations held a hearing with expert witnesses to examine "the role of data brokers in the digital economy." In that report, the regulator recommended that Congress force brokers to give consumers greater control over their data, but the "data brokers can easily circumvent existing rules and laws," the letter said. Here's the full list of data brokers who received the letter::AcxiomAtDataBabel StreetCoreLogic SolutionsEpsilon Data ManagementEquifaxExperianGravy AnalyticsInteliusKochavaLiveRampMylifeOracle AmericaPeopleConnectPlacer.aiRELXSafegraphSpokeoThomson ReutersTransUnionVerisk AnalyticsWhitepagesSubscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

☆ TikTok congressional hearing: CEO Shou Chew grilled by US lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, was repeatedly hammered in the ongoing hearing where no lawmaker offered any support. PARENTS UNHAPPYRepresentative Diana DeGette, a Democrat, said TikTok's efforts to prevent the spread of misinformation on the platform were not working. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein 1 2 3 4 5"You gave me only generalized statements that you're investing, that you're concerned, that you're doing work. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives on Twitter said, "TikTok CEO testimony so far we would characterize as a 'mini disaster' for this key moment for TikTok. TikTok is now poster child of the US/China tensions and lawmakers have a lot of q’s with not enough concrete answers."

☆ No, artificial vanilla flavoring doesn't come from beaver butts. Flavor scientists explain.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Rebecca Strong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It's a myth that artificial vanilla flavoring comes from castoreum extracted from beaver castor sacs. Flavor chemists explain that artificial vanilla flavor is made from synthetic vanillin. He said, many food companies use artificial flavors because extracting natural flavors from fruits and other plants is labor-intensive and expensive. For example, a chemical appropriately named "raspberry ketone" — which also occurs naturally in raspberries — is an essential component of artificial raspberry flavor. Scientists are still working out how to replicate these flavor volatiles, which is why artificial vanilla flavors tend to lack complexity.

☆ Glossier, Ugg, Le Creuset: Product releases this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Krystin Arneson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

There are a ton of great products that drop every week — and we’re here, as always, to keep you up to date on the best of them. This week brings the launch of Otherland’s ’90s-inspired candle collections, Ikea’s stunning collab with Sabine Marcelis and Le Creuset’s new matte navy cookware. Shop our favorite new releases below, but be fast — they’re prone to selling out. The $90 device comes in black, white, brushed steel and brass, so it’s also easy to match to your kitchen fixtures. Loungewear-meets-streetwear from the expertsUggIf anyone knows a thing or two about creating comfortable things to wear, it’s Ugg.

☆ Trump's campaign plans to push Facebook to let him back on the site — and use House Republicans' power as leverage: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Chris Panella | Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's campaign plans to leverage House Republicans' power to get his Facebook account reinstated early, according to NBC News. A Trump campaign adviser told NBC News that "keeping Trump off Facebook just looks political." Trump was suspended after the Capitol riot two years ago, with Facebook planning to review his suspension this year. A Trump adviser told NBC News that they plan to use House Republicans to pressure Meta into letting him access his account if Meta doesn't reinstate him. "If Facebook wants to have this fight, fine, but the House is leverage, and keeping Trump off Facebook just looks political," the adviser told NBC News.

☆ Glossier changed its beloved lip balm, igniting fury among its most loyal fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Glossier reformulated Balm Dotcom, a star product and fans are voicing their frustration. Some fans say the lip balm no longer works as well and are accusing the company of ignoring its customers. Glossier has gone through several changes over the past year, including a new CEO and a deal with Sephora. The reformulated balm, or BDC as fans call it, will have a redesigned applicator tip and a "new clinically-tested hydrating, vegan formula," Glossier wrote in an Instagram post. In addition, Glossier is discontinuing the cherry-flavored balm, a popular flavor that had a sheer, red tint.

☆ German police detain Iranian suspected of chemical attack plot
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

German police have taken into custody a 32-year-old Iranian citizen suspected of having procured deadly poisons cyanide and ricin to commit an “Islamist-motivated” attack, authorities in western Germany said on Sunday. “The suspect is suspected of having prepared a serious act of violence endangering the state by allegedly procuring cyanide and ricin to commit an Islamist-motivated attack,” the statement said. Police seized electronic storage devices but found neither cyanide nor ricin during the search, Holger Heming of the Duesseldorf public prosecutor’s office told Reuters TV. The authorities are now investigating at full speed.”Heming said the tip came from a security agency of a “friendly state”, without elaborating. News about Sunday’s searches also comes a month after German authorities arrested 25 members and supporters of a far-right group that the prosecutor’s office said was preparing a violent overthrow of the state.

[1/3] TV cameras are set up in front of a building where German police have taken a 32-year-old Iranian citizen into custody, suspected of having procured deadly poisons cyanide and ricin to commit an "Islamist-motivated" attack, in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany, January 8, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane NitschkeCASTROP-RAUXEL, Germany, Jan 8 (Reuters) - German police have taken into custody a 32-year-old Iranian citizen suspected of having procured deadly poisons cyanide and ricin to commit an "Islamist-motivated" attack, authorities in western Germany said on Sunday. Police said the Iranian was suspected of having planned a "serious act of violence endangering the state" by allegedly procuring cyanide and ricin to commit an Islamist-motivated attack. Islamist-motivated lone perpetrators are another considerable danger," German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said following news of the investigation. "Our security authorities therefore expect preparations for an attack at any time," she said, adding that since 2000 German security authorities had prevented 21 Islamist attacks in Germany.

Share this -Link copiedConservatives opposed to McCarthy seen huddling in chamber during third vote During the third ballot vote for speaker, several House Republicans who have opposed McCarthy to be speaker were seen huddling in the back of the chamber. McCarthy lost twice earlier in the day, with 19 conservatives casting their ballots for Rep. Jim Jordan, of Ohio, in the second round. Share this -Link copiedDemocrats mock Republicans over inability to elect House speaker Now in the minority, House Democrats appeared to enjoy the GOP divisions over electing a speaker Tuesday. Share this -Link copiedPelosi reacts to Republicans' struggling to elect GOP speaker As House Republicans struggled to elect their own speaker now that they have the majority, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., suggested the GOP is ruining Congress as an institution. Pelosi stepped down as the Democratic leader after serving as House speaker twice.

The Tampa Police Department announced it had terminated an officer Tuesday following an internal investigation into a video where he was seen dragging a woman into jail. Interim Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said Damon's actions were "unacceptable and are not tolerated at this department." Supervisors at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the agency which manages the jail, referred Damon's actions to Tampa Police's standards bureau. Tampa Police Department had revised its protocols in 2013 following a similar incident with uncooperative prisoners. Damon's termination comes after two other incidents of police misconduct at the Tampa Police Department in recent weeks.

☆ Pressure builds to keep Donald Trump off Facebook ahead of his possible reinstatement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Left-leaning groups point to his Truth Social posts pushing false election fraud claims and QAnon content. Another study by Accountable Tech found more than 350 of Trump's Truth Social posts would violate Facebook's safety guidelines. He has said prefers Truth Social. "His activity on Truth Social speaks to his potential activity if he's allowed back on some of these more mainstream platforms, like Facebook," Gogarty said. Democratic members of Congress, meanwhile, are urging Meta to uphold Trump's suspension beyond January, arguing that the risk of violence persists.

The police chief of Tampa, Florida who flashed her badge to get out of a stop for traveling in a golf cart without a license plate has resigned, according to a statement published on Monday. O’Connor, who was appointed police chief in February, was a passenger in a golf cart driven by her husband that night, police said in a statement. Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor in a golf cart driven by her husband in Oldsmar, northwest of Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 12, 2022. Public trust in Tampa’s police department is paramount to our success as a city and community," Castor said. Assistant Chief Lee Bercaw will take over as acting chief "while a comprehensive national search is conducted," according to the statement.

The police chief of Tampa, Florida, has apologized and is asking for a disciplinary review of herself after she flashed her badge to get out of a stop for traveling in a golf cart without a license plate, officials said Thursday. Chief Mary O’Connor, who was appointed in February, was a passenger in a golf cart driven by her husband, police said in a statement. Tampa Police Chief Mary O’Connor in a golf cart driven by her husband in Oldsmar, northwest of Tampa, on Nov. 12. Tampa PD via YouTubeThe video shows O’Connor ask the deputy whether his body camera is on, and when he responds that it is, she says, “I’m the police chief in Tampa." I’m hoping that you’ll just let us go tonight,” O’Connor says as she opens her badge case and hands it to her husband, the video shows.

☆ How to get rid of chapped lips, according to dermatologists
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Christina Colizza | Christina Colizza Is An Editor For Select On Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +13 min

Next to a large zit, there are few things that can make you feel more self-conscious than dry, chapped lips. While most people are prone to chapped lips in the winter, it can happen at any time of year. SKIP AHEAD: The best lip balms and ointments / What causes chapped lipsWhat to look for in lip balms and ointmentsOne of the best solutions to chapped lips is using balms or ointments to moisturize and soothe. The American Academy also recommends using Vaseline to heal chapped lips, chafing and diaper rash among other skincare uses. “Lip licking and lip smacking are common behaviors for those with dry, chapped lips, but it actually makes the problem worse.

REUTERS/Emilie MadiSHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic lawmakers at the UN climate summit in Egypt expressed concern on Thursday that Republican gains in the midterm Congressional elections could spell trouble for America's efforts to fight climate change. Speaking on the same panel, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticised lawmakers who disagree global warming is a real problem, and said Democrats and Republicans would have to work together to combat climate change. "We have to get over that," Pelosi said of lawmakers who have claimed climate change is a hoax. A delegation of Republican lawmakers arrived on Thursday in Sharm El-Sheikh separately from the Democrats and will hold an event on Friday. Last year, Biden pledged to double funds to help developing nations adapt to the effects of climate change by 2024 to $11.4 billion per year.

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