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☆ North Korean trash balloons are dumping ‘filth’ on South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea has adopted a new strategy to contend with its southern neighbor: sending floating bags of trash containing “filth” across the border, carried by massive balloons. South Korean authorities said the balloons, which landed in several locations, were filled with "filth and garbage." “All responsibility arising from the North Korean balloons lies entirely with North Korea, and we sternly warn North Korea to immediately stop its inhumane and low-level actions.”Local governments also sent messages to residents in the northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces to warn of the “unidentified objects,” and advised against outdoor activities. Earlier this year a South Korean research group has released rare footage that it claimed showed North Korean teenagers sentenced to hard labor for watching and distributing K-dramas. But the situation in North Korea deteriorated in the following years and diplomatic talks fell apart – prompting strict rules to snap back into place in the North.

Persons: ”, Kim Kang Il, KCNA, Staff “, ” Kim, Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korean, country’s, Chiefs of Staff, United Nations Command, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, North Korea’s, National Defense, South, South Korea’s, Reuters, North, Fighters Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, North Korea, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Korean, South, China

☆ If Trump Is Convicted, How Will Biden’s Team Go on the Attack?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Reid J. Epstein | Nicholas Nehamas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Normally, seeing your presidential opponent convicted of a felony would be a cause for celebration. At the same time, many Democrats are aghast at the idea that Mr. Trump could become a felon and the Biden campaign would not do everything in its power to remind voters of that fact. This tension will define the Democratic reaction if a Manhattan jury indeed convicts Mr. Trump in the coming days, an outcome that could land like a thunderbolt for the nation’s news media and political class. On Tuesday, the Biden campaign flashed its hand, holding a news conference outside the Manhattan courthouse where Mr. Trump is standing trial that featured Robert De Niro and two former U.S. Capitol Police officers. The Trump campaign was quick to accuse Mr. Biden of pulling a political stunt.

Persons: Biden’s, Donald J, Trump, Biden, Robert De Niro, Mr Organizations: North Star, U.S . Capitol Police Locations: New York, Manhattan

☆ Opinion: The latest version of ChatGPT is creepy — and appealing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Opinion Jeff Yang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Jeff Yang CNNLike its predecessors, GPT-4o is trained on enormous quantities of data to process queries, recognize patterns and deliver helpful responses. Watching the reveal, I found myself involuntarily gasping as researchers Mark Chen and Barret Zoph showed off GPT-4o’s new chops. The freakout aspect of the reveal came from how it demonstrated that GPT-4o isn’t just a tool — it’s a tool with personality. On the one hand, having the option to interrupt your AI chatbot when it’s going astray saves time. On the other, watching dudes repeatedly talking over a female-reading chatbot made it abundantly clear why you can’t spell “mansplain” without AI.

Persons: Jeff Yang, Bruce ”, “, Jeff Yang CNN, Mark Chen, Barret Zoph, Chen, Mira Murati, Parmy Olson, ”, Desi Lydic, …, Sam Altman, it’s, Siri, ” chuckling, Altman, Spike Jonze’s, Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Marc Benioff, Johansson, chatbot, mansplain Organizations: CNN, omni, Zoph . Media, Bloomberg, “, Twitter, Boston Dynamics Locations: Asian America, America, omnimodal

☆ Opinion | What Alice Munro Would Never Do
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Sheila Heti | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is common to say “I was heartbroken to hear” that so-and-so died, but I really do feel heartbroken having learned about Alice Munro, who died on Monday. She has long been a North Star for many writers and was someone I have always felt guided by. We are very different writers, but I have kept her in mind, daily and for decades, as an example to follow (but failed to follow to the extent that she demonstrated it): that a fiction writer isn’t someone for hire. A fiction writer isn’t someone who can write anything — movies, articles, obits! She isn’t a person in service to the magazines, to the newspapers, to the publishers or even to her audience.

Persons: Alice Munro, isn’t Organizations: Star

But while the company's profile in the industry has stayed constant and swaggering, behind the curtain, its business has been increasingly troubled, 10 insiders told Business Insider. Creator economy professionals mingled beneath glowing jellyfish and coral light fixtures inside Jellysmack's creator lounge during VidCon 2023. "As a startup in the ever-evolving creator economy, we are constantly testing and adapting our business model," the Jellysmack spokesperson told BI in a statement. Advertisement"The world was falling apart with the pandemic, but early Jellysmack felt like a dream," the second former staffer told BI. BI viewed two Jellysmack contracts and an email exchange between Jellysmack and one of its creator clients to verify the practice.

Persons: —, SoftBank, lanyards, Jellymack, Jellysmack, YouTubers, Brad Mondo, Meta, Michael Philippe, Jellysmack cofounders Swann Maizil, Robin Sabban, Nathan Guetta, Condé Nast, Youri Hazanov, Sean Atkins, hasn't, Snapchat —, Amanda Perelli, JellyFi, deprioritize, that's, it's, Ollie Forsyth, They've Organizations: Service, Business, Facebook, influencers, BI, YouTube, Disney, Comcast, Keli, Big Tech, cryptocurrency, MTV, HBO, Copyright Capital, SoftBank, Productions, OKA Media, Network Media LLC, Crime, Star, Spotify, Crime Network Locations: VidCon, SoftBank

☆ From Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight to NFL games, Netflix interest in live sports is rising
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The company has also leaned into live comedy shows, broadcasting a slew of events including the recent roast of Tom Brady. But on its most recent earnings call in April, co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Netflix isn't "anti-sports, but pro-profitable growth." Conway teaches courses about sports leadership and management, and he spent much of his career as a marketing executive for two Major League Baseball teams. Over the past few years, Apple has bought the rights to air Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer games. CNBC reported last year that Netflix, as well as Amazon, Apple, Comcast's NBCUniversal/Peacock, had expressed potential interest in a contract.

Persons: Rafael Nadal, Tom Brady, Sarandos, Ted Sarandos, Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, Marty Conway, Conway, Needham, Laura Martin, Martin, Brandon Katz, Katz, NBCUniversal, Peacock, William Mao, Octagon, Tyson, Paul, Mao Organizations: Netflix, WWE, Georgetown University, Major League Baseball, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox, Warner Bros, Major League Soccer, National Football League, National Basketball Association, CNBC, NFL, NBA, Comcast

☆ Nicholas Galitzine says sizzling sex scenes like the ones in 'The Idea of You' can 'serve a real purpose' in a story
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Caralynn Matassa | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The movie is sweet, but also very sexy, with plenty of intimate scenes. Galitzine tells BI those sex scenes, and others he's done in his career, serve a real story purpose. AdvertisementThe sizzling chemistry between Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway in "The Idea of You" trailer was enough to propel it to record-breaking views. "I've been very fortunate in the last years with different projects to have done some intimate scenes in my work," he told Business Insider. "I think they can oftentimes — and I like to think in my own work — serve a real purpose."

Persons: Nicholas Galitzine, Anne Hathaway, —, Hathaway, Mary, George, Julianne Moore, Galitzine, Robinne Lee, Solène Marchand, Hayes Campbell, Robinne, Hayes, Solène Organizations: Service, SXSW, TV, Variety, North Star

☆ Morgan Stanley's new wealth boss Jed Finn shares his playbook from playing matchmaker with E-Trade clients to getting advisors to teach each other how to use AI
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AdvertisementThe units are combining their outsourced investment services for ultra-high-net-worth wealth clients and institutional customers. The wealth management arm is there to help them pay less taxes on their windfall and manage their fortune. That said, Morgan Stanley has drawn the line in the past at some offerings like health savings accounts. AdvertisementFor Finn, those offerings are a means to an end: converting as many of these clients as possible to become fee-paying wealth management clients. The revenue and margins of the workplace channel and E-Trade, which Morgan Stanley acquired for $13 billion in 2020, are "irrelevant," he said.

Persons: —, Morgan, Jed Finn doesn't, Finn, Andy Saperstein, James Gorman's, Saperstein, Jacques Chappuis, Ben Huneke, Andy Saperstein's, Larry Lettera, Wagner, multibillion, Morgan Stanley, Finn isn't, We're, Jeff McMillan Organizations: Service, McKinsey, bank's, Business, Wall Street, Solium, OpenAI, AIMS

☆ A Situation Room scramble, daily calls and political intrigue: Inside the White House response to the Key Bridge collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

ET, overnight staffers in the White House Situation Room began frantically reaching out to senior officials to notify them of the collision – and collapse – of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. Jen Daskal, the deputy homeland security adviser, began preparing a briefing for President Joe Biden. Two Oval Office meetings were convened as staff at various levels began trickling into the White House. Seven barges and nine tugboats have deployed to the area, according to Tom Perez, the White House director of intergovernmental affairs. In another case – that of Moore and Perez – the two have already opposed each other on the ballot.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Dali, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key, Buttigieg, ” Buttigieg, Wes Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Jeff Zients –, Jen Daskal, Joe Biden, “, ”, Johnny Olszewski – Biden, ” Olszewski, Biden, “ I’ve, ” Biden, –, Tom Perez, ” Perez, Perez, “ It’s, we’ve, Natalie Quillian, Moore, Perez –, that’s, ” CNN’s Donald Judd Organizations: Baltimore CNN —, US Coast Guard, CNN, Maryland Gov, Baltimore Mayor, White House, Baltimore, Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, Maryland, White, Administration, Democratic Locations: Wyoming, Montana, Maryland, Baltimore County, Washington, Delaware, Baltimore, Patapsco, synchrony, Federal, White, United States

☆ 'Almost impossible': Inside Biden's uphill battle to win the backing of key anti-Trump Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

There is already an effort underway by wealthy Biden donors to recruit Haley's bundlers and contributors. The Biden Victory Fund raises money for the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee and dozens of state parties. "Everyone, including Republican voters who reject Trump's chaos, division, and violence, has a home in President Biden's campaign," said Munoz, the Biden campaign aide. The ads will feature onetime Trump voters explaining why they decided not to vote for him again. A political action committee called "Haley Voters for Biden" is also trying to persuade Haley voters to support Biden, according to Semafor.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sara Stathas, Donald Trump, Biden, Nikki Haley's, Kevin Munoz, Haley, Trump, Nikki Haley, Allison Joyce Allison Joyce, Liz Cheney, Chris Christie, Cheney, Christie, Biden outraised Trump, Haley's bundlers, Haley bundlers, MAGA, X George Conway, Conway, Biden's, Munoz, Bill Kristol, Reagan, Team Biden, Bill Kristol Michael Brochstein, Mike Madrid, Chris Sununu, Joseph Prezioso Organizations: Hillside Boys, Girls Club, Bloomberg, Getty, Democratic, Republican Party, Republican, CNBC, Former U.S, United, REUTERS, Reuters, Democratic Biden, Trump, Biden, New, New Jersey Gov, Republicans, Democratic National Convention, CNN, Trump Republican, South, GOP, Biden Victory Fund, Fund, Democratic National Committee, Haley Republicans, WI, Team, Against Trump, Trump PAC, Lincoln, UN, New Hampshire, Winnacunnet, School, AFP Locations: Milwaukee , Wisconsin, Charleston , South Carolina, U.S, Wyoming, New Jersey, South Carolina, Madrid, Hampton , New Hampshire

☆ Inside Biden’s 2024 campaign media strategy that bypasses the Beltway press
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In fact, Biden has engaged in a number of interviews this year, particularly with the Black and Hispanic press. “People in D.C. and New York may not always see it,” Michael Tyler, the Biden campaign communications director, told me by phone. The campaign argues that it adds up to media playbook that is inclusive of new media entities and other platforms with broad reach. “Number of times Jason Bateman has done a sit-down interview with President Biden: 2. Some of Biden’s hesitation to speak with the traditional news media likely stems from his frustration with how members of the press have covered him and his campaign.

Persons: Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, “, ”, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett, —, Biden, Univision’s Enrique Acevedo, Adrian Carrasquillo, ” Michael Tyler, ” Tyler, Tyler, ” Jennifer Haberkorn, Robert Hur’s, Donald Trump, Obama, Zach Galifianakis, Trump Organizations: New York CNN, New York City, Hollywood, Black, Black Americans, D.C, Biden, Star, POLITICO, Biden White House Locations: New York, “

☆ Fast-food chains like Burger King, Shake Shack, and KFC are doubling down on digital order kiosks — but watch out, you'll probably end up spending more
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fast-food giants are rapidly deploying more order kiosks in the US. AdvertisementMajor US fast-food chains plan to aggressively add more digital order kiosks to their restaurants – and bring in bigger checks in the process. They make up "well over" half of its in-restaurant orders at these locations, CFO Katie Fogertey told investors in November. As well as labor savings, kiosk orders "tend to skew to dine-in" and thus use less packaging than other digital orders, she said. In the US, digital orders currently make up just 15% of Burger King's sales.

Persons: Patrick Doyle, —, Burger, Josh Kobza, Shack, Katie Fogertey, Chris Turner, Turner, Sharon Zackfia, William Blair, Fogertey, Grace Dean, Randy Garutti, cashiers, Fogerty, Andy Barish, Jon Tower, Kobza, Zackfia, Barish, Popeyes, Tim Hortons Organizations: Service, Restaurant Brands, Brands, Taco Bell, KFC, Business, Jefferies, Citi, Burger, Firehouse, North Star Locations: Taco, China, London, millennials

☆ Supersonic planes will replace conventional jets in our lifetime, says aviation CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It’s a milestone moment in the highly anticipated new era of supersonic travel. Now, 10 years after the Boom Supersonic project began in 2014, CEO Blake Scholl tells CNN Travel over video call, there are an exciting few months ahead. “The advent of digital engineering is a huge enabler for why supersonic flight’s coming back,” explains Scholl. Courtesy Boom Supersonic‘If we have faster airplanes, we don’t need as many’He also argues the case for other efficiencies offered by faster flight. Scholl says, “2024 is going to be one of the biggest years yet for supersonic flight.

Persons: Blake Scholl, ”, Scholl, “, Lockheed Martin’s, We’ve, “ There’s, it’s, we’ll Organizations: CNN, Mojave Air, Space, CNN Travel, ”, French Concorde, NASA, Lockheed, “, Concorde, SAF, American Airlines, United Airlines, Japan Airlines Locations: Colorado, California, Soviet, British, French, Atlanta, Concorde, Mojave , California, London, New York, Greensboro , North Carolina

☆ Katherine Woodward Thomas Looks Back at 10 Years of Conscious Uncoupling
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Katherine Woodward Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

When Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin named their separation a "conscious uncoupling" 10 years ago, I was in Costa Rica on a writing retreat. What the heck is a "conscious uncoupling"? Within one day, conscious uncoupling was listed in an online dictionary as "redefining divorce in the 21st century." Katherine Woodward Thomas, the founder of Conscious Uncoupling Laura ReochYet Mark and I were determined to protect our daughter and resolved to not put her in the middle. Katherine Woodward Thomas, a licensed marriage and family therapist, is the New York Times bestselling author of "Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps to Living Happily Even After."

Persons: Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, she'd, Gwyneth, uncoupling, I'd, Mark, Katherine Woodward Thomas, Laura Reoch, That's Organizations: Hollywood, Disney, New York Times Locations: Costa Rica, goop, Star, Venice, Italy

☆ 4 ways the creator-economy startup LTK is building a remote-first workplace
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Patricia Gonzales, the chief people officer at the creator-economy startup LTK, told Business Insider about how the company has operated since pivoting mainly to remote work and how it's shifted to accommodate employees and hires. Gonzales shared four key takeaways from LTK's remote-first work culture. "And so we have made the decision to be a remote-first company." Gonzales said the idea is to make sure individual goals are clear and aligned with company goals, adding that leaders revisit their goals monthly or quarterly.

Persons: Patricia Gonzales, —, it's, LTK —, Gonzales, LTK, Slack Organizations: Service, Star Locations: Dallas, SoftBank, LTK

☆ An exploding star nova is due to show up in our skies soon. Here's how to spot it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA nearby exploding star is due to offer a spectacular show that could outshine our North Star this year. The star, which is 3,000 light-years from Earth, is expected to burst in a gigantic explosion — known as a nova — in the coming months. This cosmic blast happens when a tiny white dwarf — the core of a dead star — is locked in the orbit of a giant red star. An artist's impression of a white dwarf exploding near a red giant. Nearby is an arc of four visible stars called the Corona Borealis.

Persons: —, Bradley Schaefer, NASA's, Schaefer, Vega, Pons, Brooks Organizations: Service, Star, NASA, Business, Louisiana State University, New York Times, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, Times, Corona, Canada Locations: Canada

Credit Credit... The focus was a sign of how political the president’s address had been — and how central Mr. Trump is to Mr. Biden’s own political future. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 0:56 - 0:00 transcript In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote the following. Image Mr. Biden spoke at times in what seemed a near-shout during his State of the Union address. The morning of the State of Union began with an ad from Mr. Trump’s super PAC questioning if Mr. Biden would live to 2029.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Biden’s, ’ —, Troy Nehls, Kenny Holston, —, Vladimir V, Putin, ”, Mr, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Doug Mills, heckles, Greene, “, Laken Riley, — Laken Riley, legals —, ’ Mr, Kate Cox, Latorya Beasley, Jill Biden, Roe, Wade, We’ll, we’ll, ” Roe, I’ve, chuckles, I’m, We’ve, we’ve, Nancy, Donald Trump Jr Organizations: Union, Capitol, Mr, New York Times, Republican, Credit, Associated, New York, Republicans, Democratic, Alabama, State of Union, Trump’s Locations: Wilmington, Russia, Europe, Russian, China, Georgia, Venezuelan, Texas, Alabama, America

President Joe Biden's State of the Union address as prepared for delivery:Good evening. A former American president actually said that, bowing down to a Russian leader. And it’s because of you that tonight we can proudly say the State of our Union is strong and getting stronger. Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere else. I say this as a lifelong supporter of Israel and the only American president to visit Israel in wartime.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Franklin Roosevelt, “, Hitler, Roosevelt’s, Lincoln, Putin, Ronald Reagan, thundered, Mr, Gorbachev, we’ve, Insurrectionists, ., Jan, I’ve, Latorya Beasley, Roe, Wade, Harris, Kate Cox, Kate, – that's, won’t, Hope, Shawn Fain, Dawn Simms, Dawn, That’s, Jill, I’m, Keenan Jones –, Sen, Bob Casey’s, It’s, It’d, Edmund Pettus, John Lewis, Betty May Fikes, ”, Banning, Jasmine, Jackie, we’re, Evan, Paul, Israel, –, We’ve, aren’t, They’ve, We’re, King, Bobby Kennedy, you’ve, Let’s Organizations: Madame, Union, Overseas, Republican, NATO, Alliance, National Security, America, That's, Act, Infrastructure Law, UAW, Big Pharma, Medicare, Affordable, White, Initiative, Women’s Health Research, Grants, Child, Big Oil, Social Security, Border Patrol Union, Dreamers, Peace Corps, Ameri Corps, Corps, American, House, NRA, Hamas, United, U.S, ARPA, Star Locations: Joe Biden's State, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, American, Russian, America, Finland, Sweden, United States, Birmingham , Alabama, Alabama, Dallas, Texas, COVID, That's America, Belvidere , Illinois, Belvidere, it’s, Shawn, HBCUs, Minnesota, Ireland, Selma , Alabama, Selma, Uvalde , Texas, Uvalde, Iowa, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Red, China, Taiwan Strait, I’ve, Scranton , Pennsylvania, Claymont , Delaware, United States of America

☆ Tracking an Invisible Climate Menace From 360 Miles Above
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Malika Khurana | Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Gas sensor housing Infrared sensor Spectrometer Tracking an Invisible Climate Menace From 360 Miles Above There will soon be a new eye in the sky that’s designed to detect emissions of methane, an invisible yet potent gas that is dangerously heating the world. MethaneSAT will sweep the globe using a high-resolution infrared sensor to detect and track methane leaks from oil and gas sites worldwide. Scientists estimate that human-caused methane emissions are responsible for up to 30 percent of the global warming being experienced today. Figuring out where methane emissions are happening, how big they are and who’s responsible has been a challenge. Methane also seeps from natural sources, like flooded wetlands, but the majority of methane emissions today come from human activity.

Persons: ”, Steven Hamburg, ’, Dr, Hamburg, MethaneSAT, “, Drew Shindell, wasn’t, Biden, Bjorn Otto Sverdrup Organizations: Environmental Defense Fund, Google, Duke University, MethaneSAT, Union, Oil, Climate Initiative, Star Locations: Texas, United States

☆ Opinion | The Wars in Ukraine and Gaza Have Changed. America’s Policy Hasn’t.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Joe Biden’s presidency has been dominated by two foreign policy crises: the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The funding the United States has provided in those wars — billions to both Ukraine and Israel — has drawn backlash from both the right and the left. Richard Haass is an icon of the U.S. foreign policy establishment. He’s recently been making the case that our foreign policy is insufficiently independent — that we’ve become captured by allies that have interests that diverge from our own. His view of this moment is a signal of larger shifts that could be coming in the U.S. foreign policy consensus.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Israel —, “, Ezra Klein, Richard Haass, He’s, we’ve Organizations: Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google, Foreign Relations, Republican, America’s Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, States, Israel, U.S

☆ Grieving the Loss of a Pet? They Want to Help.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Lauren Gill | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Weeks after Maria Sandomenico’s Chihuahua, Luigi, died last August, she shared a long post in a Facebook group for residents of the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn about how she was struggling to come to terms with her adopted rescue dog’s passing. In an interview in January, Ms. Sandomenico said that in the seven years she had lived with Luigi, he had become her “north star,” trotting by her side in various custom-made clothes she had bought him. A pink and black pompom hat was his signature look, though he was also known to wear cashmere. Ms. Sandomenico said she turned to Facebook when Luigi died because she didn’t want to burden her friends with her feelings, and because she craved connection with others who had experienced the death of a pet. She was surprised by how many people responded to her post saying they were also grieving the loss of an animal companion and didn’t know where to find support.

Persons: Maria Sandomenico’s Chihuahua, Sandomenico, Luigi Organizations: Facebook Locations: Luigi, Brooklyn

☆ FAFSA inflation fix may delay financial aid letters, Education Department says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Department of Education says it recently updated a key part of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid formula, but, as a result, colleges won't receive FAFSA applicant information until early March, instead of late January as initially estimated. "These continued delays, communicated at the last minute, threaten to harm the very students and families that federal student aid is intended to help," said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. At launch, the new FAFSA relied on old consumer price index figures from 2020, before the recent runup in inflation. Just last week, the Department of Education said it planned to update this part of the new FAFSA formula, which will mean an additional $1.8 billion in aid for college-bound students this year. That update has now been completed, the Department of Education said Tuesday, and, as a result, 1.3 million students will see larger Pell Grants, a type of aid available to low-income families.

Persons: Justin Draeger, TikTok Biden Organizations: U.S . Department of Education, Federal, Aid, Department, National Association of Student Financial, Finance, Department of Education Locations: Pell

☆ Moonfare cofounder brings new startup out of stealth with $10 million. The company wants to become the operating system for carbon credit projects.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The voluntary carbon market, where credits are traded, is tipped to reach $250 billion by 2050 as companies ramp up efforts to reach net zero. It also helps project developers communicate credit quality with third parties and manage orders, the company claims. The idea is that by streamlining administrative, manual tasks and bringing information into one place, carbon projects can come online more quickly and improve the supply-side crunch. The product was developed in partnership with two large carbon project developers while the company was in stealth mode, Argyros said. Louis Coppey, partner at Point Nine who led December 2023's cash injection into BlueLayer, touted it as the operating system or ERP for carbon project developers.

Persons: fintech Moonfare, BlueLayer, Alexander Argyros, Argyros, –, Vivian Bertseka, Al Gore's, Gerardo Bonilla, Louis Coppey Organizations: Business, Nine, Point Locations: Berlin, London, Athens

☆ Opinion | Two Lessons From an Ancient Text That Changed My Life
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Sharon Brous | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

You entrust your pain to the community. The text, Middot 2:2, describes a pilgrimage ritual from the time of the Second Temple. Several times each year, hundreds of thousands of Jews would ascend to Jerusalem, the center of Jewish religious and political life. They would climb the steps of the Temple Mount and enter its enormous plaza, turning to the right en masse, circling counterclockwise. Meanwhile, the brokenhearted, the mourners (and here I would also include the lonely and the sick), would make this same ritual walk but they would turn to the left and circle in the opposite direction: every step against the current.

Persons: specter Locations: Jerusalem

☆ Tech startup Jellysmack laid off staffers in the US and France last month. Read the memo its CEO sent to employees about the restructuring, which includes a focus on AI.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The creator economy startup Jellysmack laid off staffers in the US and France last month, Business Insider has learned. Jellysmack works with creators on distributing their content across platforms like Facebook and Snapchat to earn additional ad revenue, among other initiatives. We have to realign our resources around areas of the business where Jellysmack is seeing the most success. We encourage everyone to support impacted employees by reaching out to your networks to help our colleagues find their next opportunities. Jellysmack Technologies - Led by Robin (interim), this unit will continue to develop self-serve tech solutions that solve the pain points of creators.

Persons: Jellysmack, Snapchat, Michael Philippe, Philippe, Michael Philippe ,, What's, Sean, Axel, , Robin, Michael, Swann Organizations: Business, Facebook, BI, CSE, Works, Our, Jellysmack, Network Media Locations: France, French

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