DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Stars flock to Dakar for All-Africa Music Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DAKAR, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Musical heavyweights gathered in Dakar, Senegal on Sunday for the eighth All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) that aim to celebrate and promote the continent's best veteran and cutting-edge musicians. Globally recognised stars including Senegalese maestro Youssou Ndour, and Nigerian artists P-Square and Tiwa Savage are among those set to perform during the main awards ceremony at the 15,000-seat Dakar stadium. Companies are cashing in on rising global interest in African music. Last June, Universal Music Group (UMG.AS) launched a label for independent African labels and artists, while music streaming platforms, including Spotify (SPOT.N), have sought to expand their offerings by African artists. Reporting by Bate Felix and Ngouda Dione Writing by Alessandra Prentice Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Investors snap up record $39 bln emerging market sovereign bond splurge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The scale of borrowing dwarfs the previous record of $26 billion raised in the same period in 2018, data from Morgan Stanley shows. ROARING STARTWhile emerging bond markets are off to a roaring start, that might not translate into a bumper year overall. That is well above last year's multi-year low of $95 billion, but well short of 2020's record $233 billion. "The blessing for 2023 is that we haven't got a huge spike in Eurobonds maturities for the frontier," said Gregory Smith, emerging markets fund manager at M&G Investments, referring to what are perceived as the riskiest of emerging markets. "Kenya and Angola will need to tap the market, while South Africa is staying away completely this year," she said.

And as the worst economic fears recede, global investors are rapidly rethinking historical underweights in euro zone assets. "One of the main sources of downside risk for economic activity in the euro zone is dissipating," said UniCredit economist Edoardo Campanella. Euro zone economic surprisesUnicredit chart on EU gas storageEuro natural gas prices plungeWEIRD WEATHERThat's not to suggest the problem is gone. Although back below 2021's peaks, year ahead natural gas prices in Europe are still three times the average of 15 year up to the pandemic. But there's little doubt Europe at large is weathering the winter storm better than most had imagined only a few months ago.

☆ Morning Bid: Money in the bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Kicking off the fourth-quarter corporate results season in earnest, JPMorgan, Citigroup, Bank of America, Bank of New York Mellon and Wells Fargo are among the countries biggest banks updating on Friday. It will take some twist to puncture the optimism on peak inflation and peak Federal Reserve interest rates, however. Futures markets still see rates topping out below 5% by midyear and pencil in a half point of rate cuts between then and yearend. The yen surged on speculation the Bank of Japan could revise its ultra-loose monetary policy again at next week's policy meeting. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ A former CVS nurse practitioner is suing the company after it fired her for refusing to prescribe birth control and Plan B for religious reasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former CVS employee in Texas is suing the company after it fired her for refusing to give out birth control. The suit claims the company granted her "religious accommodation" until it reversed the policy in August 2021. The suit claims CVS previously granted Strader religious accommodation so that she was not required to give out birth control at the MinuteClinic where she worked in Keller, Texas. Currently, six states — Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, and South Dakota — allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense birth control pills or Plan B for religious reasons. Strader's suit follows similar legal action taken by CVS nurse practitioners in Virginia and Kansas, who also claim the company fired them for refusal to provide birth control to customers.

A former CVS Health nurse practitioner is suing the pharmacy chain for firing her after she refused to prescribe birth control, citing her religious beliefs. Texas resident J. Robyn Strader said in the suit that her Baptist Christian faith prevents her from prescribing contraceptive and abortion-inducing drugs. She said that for six and a half years, CVS granted her a religious accommodation to forego having to prescribe the drugs at the CVS MinuteClinic where she worked. When a customer needed the prescription, she would refer them to a colleague or another CVS MinuteClinic. CVS is facing at least two other lawsuits in federal court brought by former nurse practitioners in Kansas and Virginia who say they were fired over the policy.

☆ Law & Order SVU's Maurice Compte: Boundaries between good and bad can be 'blurry'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Arturo Conde | Arturo Conde Is An Editor | A Bilingual Freelance Journalist. He Writes For La Opinión A Coruña | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Police dramas often define a clear line between good and bad. But Cuban American actor Maurice Compte, who plays Captain Mike Duarte on the 24th season of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” says the policemen and gang members he grew up with make that line more blurry in real life. The actor told NBC News that he knew both policemen and gang members — some of whom he said were in the Latin Kings. Beyond the imaginary TV line that divides characters into good and bad, there's a more complicated reality that drives both sides to belong to a community, he said. “At its best, I understood why they were doing it,” Compte said, referring to the gang members that he knew from his neighborhood.

☆ Morning Bid: Disinflation elation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Whether the Federal Reserve policymakers will publicly chime with the disinflation narrative or not, many acknowledge their policy stance is now 'data dependent' from here. And unless disavowed of it by hard evidence, markets already assume the inflation battle is as good as won. The dollar and U.S. Treasury yields were slightly lower. China's inflation rate crept back up last month too but it remains below 2% and annual producer price inflation is still in negative territory. Although UK bond yields and sterling skidded lower on Wednesday in mix of recession concerns and energy price disinflation hopes, there was better news on the retail front today.

[1/2] A Brazilian flag is seen through broken glass following the anti-democratic riots, at Planalto Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, January 10, 2023. What many banks point to is the assumed risk premium already built in to Brazilian real interest rates. But beyond Brazilian markets, the wide global markets calm surrounding the weekend events was equally curious. After all, Brazil is the 12th largest economy in the world and one of the biggest food and raw materials exporters. Among the 10 biggest risks it lists by likelihood is emerging markets political risks that threaten political institutions.

☆ Ohio and New Jersey ban Tiktok on government devices over Chinese surveillance fears, joining over 20 other states
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

New Jersey and Ohio are the latest states to ban TikTok on government-owned devices. New Jersey's governor Phil Murphy announced a cybersecurity order on Monday, to "prohibit the use of high-risk software and services," on government owned devices. "The proactive and preventative measures that we are implementing today will ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and safety of information assets managed by New Jersey State government. A growing number of states have banned TikTok from government devices since December including Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and more. An analysis by website Government Technology, published before the New Jersey and Ohio bans were announced, shows more than 20 states have banned TikTok on government devices.

☆ Morning bid: Obstacle course ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly and Atlanta Fed chief Raphael Bostic said they expect Fed rates - now at 4.25% to 4.5% - will need to rise to a 5% to 5.25% range to sap inflation. The other big market obstacle of the week is the onset of the U.S. corporate earnings season. Four American banking giants - JPMorgan (JPM.N), Bank of America (BAC.N), Citigroup (C.N) and Wells Fargo (WFC.N) - report earnings on Friday. Diaried events and data releases that may provide direction to U.S. and world markets later on Tuesday:* U.S. Dec NFIB small business survey. * U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem and European Central Bank board member Isabel Schnabel all speak at Swedish central bank event.

☆ New Jersey, Ohio join other states in banning TikTok from state devices
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - New Jersey and Ohio said on Monday they were joining other states in banning use of the popular video app TikTok on government-owned and managed devices. Murphy's office said "there have been national security concerns about user data the Chinese government might require ByteDance to provide." On Friday, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said he planned to join other states in banning use of the popular video app that has more than 100 million U.S. users. Republican governors have led the charge to ban TikTok from state devices and some Democratic governors have been slower to do so. Calls to ban TikTok from government devices gained steam after U.S. FBI Director Christopher Wray said in November it poses national security risks.

☆ Morning Bid: Seeing through another shock
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Brazil's weekend political shock reminds world markets of fragile geopolitics, but investors more broadly appear happier to stick with a new year narrative of recovery from a dire 2022. Days after his inauguration, leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced a federal security intervention in Brasilia until Jan. 31. Fed chair Jerome Powell speaks on Tuesday but the big data release of this week is Thursday's consumer price report. The gap between positive euro zone economic surprise indices and negative U.S. equivalents is now at its widest since June. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Biden, McConnell Kentucky event is a roadmap for White House under new Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during an event to tout the new Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River between Covington, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio, near the bridge in Covington, Kentucky, U.S., January 4, 2023. That's the opposite of what the White House thinks voters want. In a stark sign of the Republican divisions that the White House hopes will work to their advantage, Trump endorsed McCarthy on Wednesday morning, while lobbing a racial slur at McConnell's wife. Biden and McConnell were joined by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, former Ohio Senator Rob Portman, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. McConnell was among a handful of Republicans who voted for the infrastructure law while many House Republicans including McCarthy opposed it.

☆ Biden, McConnell Set to Tout Bridge Funding in Show of Bipartisanship
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Catherine Lucey | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—President Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will tout a bridge project made possible under the 2021 infrastructure bill during a trip to Kentucky on Wednesday, offering a show of bipartisanship as Washington lurches into a contentious era of divided government. The former colleagues were set to visit Covington, Ky., where the White House planned to announce funding to upgrade the Brent Spence Bridge between Ohio and Kentucky, as well as investments in other bridges around the country. Also scheduled to attend were Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio), Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine , a Republican, former Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) and Kentucky Gov.

The new House GOP majority returns to elect a speaker after failing on three votes Tuesday. ... Nancy Pelosi reacts to GOP dysfunction: “As one who loves this institution, I think it’s a sad day.” ... And President Biden appears with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell to tout the bipartisan infrastructure law. Andy Beshear) all appear at an event in Kentucky promoting a bridge improvement from the bipartisan infrastructure law. 16: How many years Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has served as Senate GOP leader, making him the longest-serving Senate leader ever, per NBC News’ Frank Thorp. Eyes on 2024: DeSantis takes office amid GOP chaosAs the GOP descended into chaos on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Florida GOP Gov.

Instead, this ketamine clinic feels like an oasis of zen, strewn with twinkle lights, lush greenery and comfy meditation pillows. Chere Scythes, right, listens to guided meditation during a ketamine session at Field Trip Health in New York City. “And so many of these clinics don’t have mental health professionals staffing them. When those mental health concerns pop up, they may not be equipped to respond appropriately.”Ketamine also isn’t a cure-all. “That deep dark depressive cloud started to lift.”In combination with her antidepressants, she has continued the ketamine treatments and now gets one every five weeks.

McConnell wants to get credit from voters in his home state of Kentucky for the spending project, while Biden wants to highlight the on-the-ground impacts of lawmakers working together. That's the opposite of what the White House thinks voters want. Democrats' unexpected success in the last midterms shows "the American people said very loudly and clearly they wanted us to come together and work for a common ground,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday. The two will be joined by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, former Ohio Senator Rob Portman, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. McConnell, of Kentucky, was among a handful of Republicans who voted for the infrastructure law while many House Republicans including McCarthy opposed it.

☆ Biden to promote U.S. infrastructure spending in bipartisan Kentucky visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. President Barack Obama speaks in front of the dilapidated Brent Spence Bridge during a visit to Cincinnati, Ohio September 22, 2011. McConnell, of Kentucky, was among the Republicans who voted for the infrastructure law, which was passed in November 2021, while many House Republicans including Representative Kevin McCarthy opposed it. McConnell said last week in a statement that "building a new companion bridge on the Brent Spence Bridge corridor will be one of the bill's crowning accomplishments." Kentucky and Ohio had sought funding for the project for years. Other administration officials including Vice President Kamala Harris will also tout infrastructure awards in other events this week.

The appearance with McConnell, R-Ky., and other regional leaders from both parties Wednesday signals a dual focus for a White House aiming to stay above the political fray in 2023. But the bipartisan infrastructure law will be front and center as the White House says 20,000 new projects funded by the law will be underway in the year ahead. On Thursday, White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu will visit San Francisco, one week after outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the city’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge will undergo a $400 million retrofit funded by the law. “I’ve never been more optimistic about America in my whole career,” Biden said during an appearance on ABC’s New Year’s Eve special. When asked Friday about whether the 2024 election has come up in discussions this week, Biden quipped: “There’s an election coming up?"

☆ Democrats fret as Biden tries to bolster re-election case touting legislative wins
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Peter Nicholas | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Carol-Lee-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

WASHINGTON — As 2022 draws to a close, President Joe Biden plans to give an upbeat national address Thursday afternoon with a unifying message. Biden would be traveling the country touting reduced insulin prices and new road projects, while House Republicans hold hearings into obscure conspiracy theories. The first is Biden runs and loses, perhaps to a younger Republican opponent who eclipses Trump as the new GOP favorite. His top aides have been meeting privately with left-leaning interest groups urging them to go out and showcase Biden’s record. “President Biden became the first president since FDR in 1934 to not lose a single incumbent United States Senate seat” in the midterms, Donilon wrote.

☆ Morning Bid: A year in reverse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Traders work on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 14, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew KellyA look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. The EV firm's ailing stock popped up about 2% from two-year lows in pre-market trading on the news. Reuters GraphicsBroader world markets headed into the holiday-strewn year-end in only a slightly less gloomy mood on Wednesday. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

And much like the COVID pandemic, calling the big event wouldn't necessarily have made your year-ahead financial market forecast much better or your bottom lines any fatter. Forecasts are a lifeblood in markets because no one can take a position without at least some conviction about what might happen next. The Federal Reserve's quarterly economic and policy rate projections for three years hence are a case in point. For context, the 4 point error range on unemployment rate forecasts is a difference of almost 6 million jobs and a 4.6 point range on GDP is more than a trillion dollars of output. The European Central Bank is more explicit about what market price assumptions it uses in staff forecasts.

☆ Morning Bid: Land of the rising yields
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. In the last major central bank set-piece of the year, the BOJ raised its long-standing cap on 10-year Japanese government bond yields by quarter of a percentage point to 0.5% - sending those yields and the yen surging and squeezing stocks further. Yet most investors felt that was only likely when BOJ chief Haruhiko Kuroda stepped down in April. Japan's 10-year bond yields immediately almost doubled close to the new 0.5% target, with U.S. Treasury and European sovereign debt yields rising in their slipstream. Apart from the timing, the BOJ move marks a significant moment in draining the world economy of central bank liquidity pumped in to support economies during the pandemic.

☆ Morning Bid: Yen for change
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But even though the BoJ is unlikely to change that stance at this week's policy meeting, some change appears to be afoot next year as central bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda ends his second five-year term in April. In numbers due for release on Thursday, Japan's core consumer price inflation rate is expected to have ticked up to 3.7% last month. That said, futures markets still aren't buying Fed policymaker indications that official rates will go above 5% and stay there all next year. After closing at their worst levels in over a month on Friday, U.S. stocks are set for a steadier open today. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Search resuls for: "Mike D"

25 mentions found