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☆ Here’s how venture capital is helping to lift the next generation of Latinos in finance
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A group of Latino-led and focused venture capital firms is looking to change that. Similarly, only 2% of venture capital professionals and partner-level professionals at institutional firms are Latino, a study from LatinxVC discovered. "We're trying to increase [Latino] venture capitalists within established venture organizations," said Mariela Salas, the executive director of LatinxVC. Latino-focused venture capitalThere are several Latino-focused venture capital firms that are working on at least one piece of the puzzle: investing in their communities. "We give the opportunity to first-time accredited investors, people of color and women to get access to venture capital," Mendoza said.

☆ These artists found out their work was used to train AI. Now they’re furious
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Rachel Metz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

AI Image/Stable DiffusionHanson, who’s based in McMinnville, Oregon, is one of many professional artists whose work was included in the data set used to train Stable Diffusion, which was released in August by London-based Stability AI. Once available only to a select group of tech insiders, text-to-image AI systems are becoming increasingly popular and powerful. A piece by illustrator Daniel Danger that was included in the training data behind the Stable Diffusion AI image generator. But removing pictures of an artist’s work from a dataset wouldn’t stop Stable Diffusion from being able to generate images in that artist’s style. Hanson, for her part, has no problem with her art being used for training AI, but she wants to be paid.

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Domestic disinformation campaigns and homegrown threats to poll workers are emerging as bigger concerns ahead of the Nov. 8 U.S. congressional elections than foreign interference, according to U.S. cybersecurity and law enforcement officials. "At this time, we are not aware of any specific or credible threats to compromise or disrupt election infrastructure," top U.S. cybersecurity official Jen Easterly told reporters last week during a video conference on election security. Opinion polls have shown that a large majority of Republican voters believe Trump won that election. The Election Integrity Partnership, a non-partisan group that has helped the CISA combat election disinformation, said the vast majority of disinformation and false rumors about the 2020 election spread primarily through far-right influencers catering to Trump voters. Meta spokesperson Corey Chambliss declined to comment on the company's election security efforts.

☆ Cybersecurity Tops the CIO Agenda as Threats Continue to Escalate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Steven Rosenbush | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Cyber and information security has been at the top of their agenda since 2020. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CIO Journal The Morning Download delivers daily insights and news on business technology from the CIO Journal team. Gartner forecasts that worldwide information security and risk-management spending by end-users will reach $188.336 billion in 2023, up 11.3% from the current year. It’s what boards are talking about,” said Truist Financial Corp. Chief Information Security Officer Howard Whyte. He and Truist CIO Scott Case work closely to understand the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank’s changing attack surface and cybersecurity risk.

☆ NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo undergoing treatment for brain tumor
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is undergoing treatment in Atlanta for a brain tumor, the NBA announced Saturday. He also appeared with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at an event in the Congo, Mutombo’s native country, in August. “Dikembe and his family ask for privacy during this time so they can focus on his care. They are grateful for your prayers and good wishes.”The family did not release any other details, including what prompted the tumor being discovered. The 56-year-old Mutombo spent 18 seasons in the NBA, playing for Denver, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, New York and the then-New Jersey Nets.

☆ Apple workers vote to unionize second U.S. store
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Doyinsola Oladipo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Apple Inc retail workers voted to form a union at an Oklahoma location, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said on Friday, making it the tech giant's second U.S. store to organize. Employees at the Apple Penn Square store in Oklahoma City voted 56 to 32 in support of joining the Communications Workers of America Union (CWA), securing the needed majority, according to a tally by the NLRB. Apple workers near Baltimore, Maryland, voted in June to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The CWA in May withdrew an election petition on behalf of Apple workers in Atlanta, Georgia, claiming that Apple had repeatedly violated federal labor law and the rising number of COVID infections among store employees made a fair election impossible, according to the CWA. Some current and former Apple workers last year began criticizing the company's working conditions online, using the hashtag #AppleToo.

☆ Apple workers in Oklahoma vote for company's second U.S. union store
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A shopper looks at a wall fully occupied with iPhone case covers at the American multinational technology company Apple store in Hong Kong. Employees at an Apple store in Oklahoma City voted on Friday to join a union, marking the second unionized Apple store in the U.S. The vote is a defeat for Apple, which has opposed unionization efforts around the country. It's a win for Communications Workers of America, which now represents the workers at an Apple store after separate unionization efforts at stores in Georgia and New York City stalled. Apple's first unionized U.S. store, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Maryland, is preparing to begin formal negotiations with Apple.

The repatriation is part of a worldwide movement by cultural institutions to return artifacts that were often stolen during colonial wars. African nations and scholars have put pressure on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, to return stolen African artifacts for years, according to Chika Okeke-Agulu, program director of African studies at Princeton University. But he said most African artifacts tend to remain in Europe. The following year, he commissioned a report focusing on restitution efforts, which commenced a repatriation movement of African artifacts throughout Europe. Abba Isa Tijani, director-general of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, agrees, hoping the recent transfer of the African bronze sculpture inspires more museums to return African artifacts, opening the door for better relationships.

☆ Uniqlo operator posts record annual profit despite China slump
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Ritsuko AndoTOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s Fast Retailing Co, owner of clothing brand Uniqlo, reported record full-year profit on Thursday despite a continuing slump in China, its biggest overseas market. Operating profit was 297.3 billion yen ($2.02 billion) in the 12 months through August compared with 249 billion yen a year earlier. That surpassed the company’s guidance and the consensus forecast of 291 billion yen, according to the average of 12 analyst estimates from Refinitiv. Fast Retailing saw a slight increase in sales in mainland China for the year while operating profit slid 17% amid stringent COVID 19-related controls. Profit will rise to 350 billion yen next fiscal year, the company forecast.

☆ Inflation: Is the Fed losing the war?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“This inflation report today was an unmitigated disaster,” wrote Christopher S. Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds, a financial markets research company. Is the Fed losing the fight against inflation? But the effects of rate hikes can take months to be felt in the real economy. But the Fed is “losing the war” when it comes to price hikes for the services sector. Ultimately, some say the problem of pandemic-era inflation is just too complex to be fixed with the Fed’s blunt tools.

☆ The Fed is losing the war against inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Still, these six Black Republicans seem unmoved, even if Black voters overall appear to present more of an uphill challenge. Herschel Walker and Former ambassador Nikki Haley speak with the press during Herschel's Unite Georgia Bus Stop rally at the Global Mall in Norcross, Ga., on Sept. 9, 2022. It’s a bigger picture.”The Black vote was critical in turning Georgia blue in the 2020 presidential election and pushing Biden to the presidency and ultimately Warnock into the Senate. “I know Herschel Walker votes more conservative. Even with the recent allegations, these voters point out that between Warnock and Walker’s policies, they prefer Walker’s because he is anti-abortion.

☆ Wall Street is being shortsighted on Meta Platforms, ignoring things that can go right
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Club holding Meta Platforms (META) seems to be a hated stock on Wall Street no matter what it does. The stock hit a new 52-week low Wednesday, one day after the company unveiled its new Quest Pro headset at its 2022 Meta Connect conference. Quest Pro Starting with the Meta Quest Pro, at $1,500, the headset is targeting a different audience than its Meta Quest 2 counterpart, which starts at $400. Tools and partnerships While the Quest Pro is impressive in its own right, what makes it really intriguing are the tools and partnerships that were announced with it. The Meta Quest Pro headset during the virtual Meta Connect event in New York, US, on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022.

☆ $17.5 billion tech juggernaut Miro quietly snapped up video-chat startup Around in the ongoing battle to catch Zoom
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Ben Bergman | Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It was acquired by Miro in June but both parties kept quiet until contacted by Insider. Terms were not disclosed though one source put the value of the deal as high as $300 million. Miro, a visual collaboration company last valued at $17.5 billion, has quietly acquired Around, a next-generation video conferencing app. "A Zoom video call is basically a telephone connected to a video camera," Zane said. "We want to get the community to give us feedback in terms of the problems that we are solving."

☆ Analysis: 'Bling Empire' is still shining in its third season
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-08 | by ( Analysis Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Three things to watch‘Bling Empire’ Season 3(From left) Feuding "Bling Empire" cast members Christine Chiu and Anna Shay are pictured in happier times, during an episode from the reality show's second season. So, color me thrilled that the new season of “Bling Empire” picks up right where last season’s high-stakes drama ended. “The Problem With Jon Stewart” Season 2Jon Stewart is pictured during an episode of "The Problem With Jon Stewart" on Apple TV+. Something to sip onStanley Tucci in pictured in a scene from the second season of "Searching for Italy." “That they appreciate the effort that people go through to grow good food, to raise good food,” he said.

☆ Tim Cook says there are 4 traits he looks for in Apple employees: ‘It’s been a very good formula for us’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-02 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

For instance, the company typically seeks out employees with four shared skills: the ability to collaborate, creativity, curiosity and expertise. "It's been a very good formula for us," he said, noting those traits also contribute to an ambitious, yet supportive workplace culture. This year, the company dropped off Comparably's annual list of global companies with the best workplace culture. At the Utah Tech Tour in October 2016, Cook said Apple looked for brilliance, determination, obsessive curiosity, team focus and agitated idealism in its employees. Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletterDon't miss:Tim Cook became CEO of Apple 10 years ago.

☆ Inside the New York Times' heated union fight, where a potential strike looms and the biggest sticking point is pay
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Steven Perlberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Will reporters at The New York Times really go on strike? The idea, unthinkable just a few months ago, is now on the lips of New York Times Guild members as the union's contract negotiations with management heat up. New York Times reporters have walked off the job before, like as part of a 1962-1963 citywide newspaper strike. But Robles said union members are upset that the Times' strong business footing has not translated into better pay. (The Times spokesperson countered that the paper was not seeing record profits).

☆ Fact Check-The Simpsons did not predict the date of Queen Elizabeth’s death
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Altered and fabricated footage purportedly showing scenes from the animated television show The Simpsons has been shared on social media to claim that the series “predicted” the date of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Queen Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch and the nation's figurehead for seven decades, died on Sept. 8, 2022 aged 96 (here) (here). It highly resembles an edited image, debunked by Snopes in 2017 (here), that was fabricated to show former U.S. president Donald Trump. Matt Selman, executive producer of The Simpsons, tweeted on Sept. 22 an article by Variety that debunked the claim that the show had predicted the death of Queen Elizabeth (here). The Simpsons did not predict the date of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

☆ The possibility of a strike looms at The New York Times as its union battles management over wage hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Steven Perlberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Will reporters at The New York Times really go on strike? The idea, unthinkable just a few months ago, is now on the lips of New York Times Guild members as the union's contract negotiations with management heat up. New York Times reporters have walked off the job before, like as part of a 1962-1963 citywide newspaper strike. The union at Wirecutter, the reviews site owned by the New York Times, walked off the job during the Black Friday shopping period last year, for instance. But Robles said union members are upset that the Times' strong business footing has not translated into better pay.

☆ GM delays return-to-office mandate after employee backlash
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

DETROIT – General Motors is conducting damage control around its return-to-office plans after a Friday afternoon message to employees spurred backlash and confusion. On Tuesday, a second message walked back that timing and clarified the company won't be mandating specific in-office days, instead leaving that decision to individual teams. The follow-up message says no workers will be required to return to offices sooner than the first quarter of next year. She said the timing of the return-to-office has shifted, but "the overall plan has not really changed." GM described it as a flexible, evolving policy that will differ depending on the employee, week and project.

Gareth Kaminski-Cook, CEO of Autins, which makes noise-reducing and thermal insulation for carmakers, gives a tour of the auto supplier's factory in Tamworth, Britain, May 3, 2022. Many auto suppliers, already squeezed by rampant inflation and energy prices, say they have little choice but to shoulder the extra costs of making their components sustainable to meet carmakers' environmental targets. "We're going to see a real big shakeout the next five, 10 years in the auto supply chain." The company, which is worth about $39 billion, launched its own sustainability drive in 2020 and is working on recyclable products with carmakers including Volkswagen, Volvo and BMW. Guell says carmakers only want to work with suppliers who use green energy, leaving him in a tight spot.

☆ Adobe's product chief opens up about why its Figma competitor failed: 'XD was made in the image of the old'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Before acquiring Figma, Adobe had a similar product, Adobe XD, that failed to take off. That's one of the main reasons Adobe wants to join forces with Figma, Scott Belsky, Adobe's chief product officer, told Insider. He acknowledges that Adobe's rival tool for product design, called Adobe XD, wasn't successful. Why Adobe XD never took offAdobe created Adobe XD in 2016 because it saw a lot of people using Photoshop for website building. As a desktop product, XD used local files and wasn't collaborative.

CNN —Jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders has died at the age of 81, according to an announcement Saturday by record label Luaka Bop and a statement from his representative. “We are devastated to share that Pharoah Sanders has passed away,” Luaka Bop wrote on Twitter. Sanders’ rich discography includes more than 30 albums dating back to 1965, according to his website. The artist, who collaborated with Sanders on a collaborative 2021 studio album called “Promises,” shared a photo of himself and Sanders on Twitter. “My beautiful friend passed away this morning,” Floating Points wrote.

Despite the growth and consumer power of U.S. Latinos, they continue to be significantly underrepresented in media, according to a new report. On TV shows, Latinos made up 3.1% of lead actors, 2.1% of co-leads/ensemble actors and 1.5% of showrunners. There are no Latino CEOs or film and production company chairs, important decision-making roles that help greenlight stories and steer content. Amid the lack of representation, more Latinos are turning to social media platforms and brands for content, such as YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat, the report found. The report also noted that 11 of the 20 most streamed songs of the summer, according to Spotify, are by Latino artists.

Legendary music producer Emilio Estefan weighed in with his take on how to boost Latino representation in showbiz. The Cuban-American Estefan, who is married to superstar singer Gloria Estefan, has endured one of the relatively few key figures in American show business. He's won 19 Grammys, and President Barack Obama awarded both Gloria and Emilio Estefan the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. In 2022, only 3.1% of lead actors in TV shows are Latinos, and the percentage of representation in films is no better. The report also found that not only is there a lack of Latino representation but many of the portrayals of Latino are negative.

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