DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

June 16 (Reuters) - Iowa's highest court did not revive a 2018 ban on most abortions on Friday, meaning that abortion will remain legal in the state up to 20 weeks of pregnancy for now. Iowa passed a law banning abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks, in 2018. The law was blocked because of the U.S. Supreme Court's longstanding 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. The Supreme Court overturned Roe last year, and Reynolds immediately sought to revive the 2018 law. The trial court judge said there was no legal mechanism for doing that, and three Supreme Court justices agreed.

Persons: Kim Reynolds, Roe, Wade, Alexis McGill Johnson, Chris Schandevel, today's, Reynolds, Thomas Waterman, Christopher McDonald, inequitable, Waterman, McDonald, Dana Leanne Oxley, Brendan Pierson, Alexia Garamfalvi, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Republican, Planned, U.S, Thomson Locations: Iowa, U.S ., Roe, New York

☆ Former SEC chief Harvey Pitt passes away at 78
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 31 (Reuters) - Harvey Pitt, a former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, passed away on Tuesday, according to a statement from the director of the SEC Historical Society shared with Reuters. At the time, fellow SEC Commissioner Roel Campos said: "There has certainly never been anyone who loved this agency more than Chairman Pitt." Pitt was a graduate of St. John's University School of Law and the City University of New York, according to the SEC's website. He passed away on Tuesday, according to the statement from Jane Cobb, executive director of the SEC Historical Society. "Over the years, Harvey has been extremely generous with his time and sage advice," said Michael Piwowar, a former SEC commissioner.

Persons: Harvey Pitt, Pitt, George W, Bush, Roel Campos, Jane Cobb, Harvey, Michael Piwowar, Chris Prentice, Douglas Gillison, Niket, Shinjini Ganguli, Paul Simao Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC Historical Society, Reuters, SEC, FBI, Enron, San Francisco Chronicle, Oxley, St, John's University School of Law, City University of New, Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania, Kalorama Partners, Thomson Locations: City University of New York, Washington, New York, Bengaluru

☆ The Restaurant Service Charge Isn’t Going Anywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Priya Krishna | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Here’s a familiar restaurant scene: Dinner is over, the plates have been cleared and the server discreetly drops the bill on the table. But there’s something less familiar at the bottom of the check — a service charge, tacked on with little explanation. If not, should I leave more money? Is it rude if I ask my server any of this? “You shouldn’t have to ask,” said Chloe Lynn Oxley, a project manager in Washington, D.C., who dines out frequently and — like many diners — is often bewildered by the fees.

☆ Tellurian appoints Barclays' Simon Oxley as CFO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Tellurian Inc FollowMay 10 (Reuters) - U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Tellurian Inc <TELL.A> said on Wednesday it has appointed Simon Oxley as chief financial officer, effective June 1. Oxley, who worked at Barclays Investment Bank as co-head of Oil & Gas Investment Banking for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, will take over from Khaled Sharafeldin, who had been serving as the interim finance chief after Kian Granmayeh resigned from the CFO position in March. Oxley joins Tellurian after its Driftwood project has seen many setbacks including the cancellation of some LNG supply deals after two major potential customers last year raised concerns around the company's ability to finish the project. Reporting by Arshreet Singh; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Companies UBS Group AG FollowMay 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine how difficult it should be for financial whistleblowers to win retaliation lawsuits against their employers as the justices took up a long-running case involving Switzerland's UBS Group AG (UBSG.S). A Supreme Court ruling in favor of UBS could significantly curtail financial whistleblower lawsuits because it is often difficult for plaintiffs to prove a defendant's motives. Robert Herbst, a lawyer for Murray, said the 2nd Circuit decision ignored the text of the whistleblower law, adding that he looked forward to arguing the case before the Supreme Court. A UBS spokesperson said, "We expect the court will uphold the 2nd Circuit's decision." The Supreme Court is due to hear the case in its next term, which begins in October.

☆ Why Amazon quashed an Oregon bill that aimed to curb data center emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

On what was recently farmland, Amazon data centers have been built as close as 50 feet from residential houses in the Loudoun Meadows neighborhood on January 20, 2023, in Aldie, VA. Amazon's opposition to the clean energy measure is at odds with its broader push to improve its environmental impact. Amazon says it's on a path to using 100% renewable energy across its business by 2025, and is the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy. Experts have said the nation's out-of-date electrical grid remains a barrier to accelerating the transition to clean energy sources. Amazon has pledged to get all of its data centers running on renewable energy, but it has yet to divest completely from fossil fuels.

☆ Brain implant startup backed by Bezos and Gates is testing mind-controlled computing on humans
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Philip O'Keefe, one of Synchron's patients in the SWITCH clinical trial, using his BCI. Philip O'Keefe, one of Synchron's patients in the SWITCH clinical trial, was the first person in the world to tweet using a BCI device. About 20 months earlier, O'Keefe was implanted with Synchron's BCI. Synchron's technology has caught the attention of its competitors. Source: SynchronIn January, the medical journal JAMA Neurology published the peer-reviewed, long-term safety results from a trial of Synchron's BCI system in Australia.

☆ Lack of Crypto Audit Regulation Raises Questions About PCAOB Authority
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Additionally, there isn’t a regulatory framework for audits for many crypto companies. The SEC, which oversees the PCAOB, is reviewing how crypto companies portray reports from audit firms in the aftermath of the FTX collapse. The PCAOB—which sets audit standards, inspects audits and disciplines audit firms—has said it can only oversee audits of public companies and SEC-registered broker-dealers. In a letter last month to PCAOB Chair Erica Williams, they said the watchdog ignored what they called questionable practices by auditors of crypto companies. Even potential improvements to crypto audit regulation might not prevent fraud in the crypto industry, said Andrew Kitto, an assistant professor of accounting at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a former PCAOB economic research fellow.

Garvey had argued that the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), which protects workers who report securities violations, can apply to securities fraud that occurs overseas but affects U.S. markets. Circuit said SOX's whistleblower protections do not prohibit securities fraud, so any impact on the U.S. was irrelevant in applying the law. Nor did Morgan Stanley, which has denied retaliating against Garvey. An administrative law judge ruled that SOX did not apply to overseas workers, and a review board agreed last year. For Garvey: pro seFor DOL: Reynaldo FuentesFor Morgan Stanley: Michael Kenneally of Morgan Lewis & BockiusOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. Audit Watchdog Looks to Strengthen Rules on Quality Controls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

The regulator inspects audit firms’ approach to quality controls as part of its reviews. Fourteen audit firms issued audit reports for over 100 businesses apiece last year, the PCAOB’s website shows. Audit firms would have to conduct the first evaluation of their quality controls by the following Nov. 30. It is considering revising changes to rules on confirmations, a process by which audit firms obtain and evaluate audit evidence from independent third parties. The regulator is working to update more than 30 audit rules related to 10 of its standard-setting projects, many of which refer to outdated technology.

EY’s leaders last week approved separating the professional-services firm’s consulting and auditing businesses. The consulting firm, which doesn’t have an official name yet, has to make sure its branding doesn’t confuse prospective or existing clients, she said. EY trailed Deloitte and PwC in both its total revenue, $39.96 billion, and consulting revenue in the 2021 fiscal year. EY’s planned split has drawn comparisons to when Andersen Consulting separated from defunct accounting firm Arthur Andersen in 2001 and subsequently rebranded as Accenture. Companies could be inclined to stick with their existing consulting firm, rather than try out a new one, if they are uncertain about their outlook, Mr. Tellis said.

☆ These startups are beating Elon Musk in the race to let you mind meld with your computer
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-17 | by ( Adam Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

That's when I started reporting on them, and like any good nerd I was compelled by what scientists could learn with these "brain computer interfaces." The race for implantable brain chips has been a long, deliberate marathon. Graham Felstead, who has severe paralysis, was the first person to have a BCI inserted via the blood vessels. Brain chips will enable them to perform simple actions on their own and reduce the need for round-the-clock care. "When we started in 2015 and I was pitching venture capitalists on brain computer interfaces, no one knew what a brain computer interface was," says Matt Angle, the CEO of Paradromics.

Search resuls for: "Oxley"

12 mentions found