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☆ Contaminated water in North Carolina has been linked to a higher risk of Parkinson's in a new study of over 300,000 veterans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new study found a connection between contaminated water at a military base and Parkinson's disease. The risk of Parkinson's was 70% higher for over 300,000 veterans from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Those stationed at Camp Lejeune were there for at least three months between 1975 and 1985. Even veterans who were not diagnosed with Parkinson's disease still had "significantly higher" risk for early signs and symptoms of the illness, the researchers reported in the study. Both Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense have previously acknowledged the exposure of trichloroethylene at Camp Lejeune.

☆ A Ukrainian man put messages on artillery shells fired at the Russians to honor his grandson killed in the fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Ukrainian man put messages on artillery shells fired at Russian forces to honor his late grandson. "To Katsap hermits for Maksym Medynsky. "I put in my message all the hate I feel for Muscovites," Medynsky told the Times. The money raised from these artillery messages can be used for a variety of purchases, including military vehicle repairs, one unit told the Times. RevengeFor.com, a donation fund, takes money for these artillery messages.

☆ Trump's advisor showed him a tweet from AOC to fire him up during the commercial break of CNN's town hall: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Chris Panella | Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump's advisor reportedly showed him an AOC tweet during the CNN town hall to fire him up. Axios reported that Trump advisor Jason Miller showed Trump Ocasio-Cortez's tweet during the first commercial break of the night. Axios reported that Trump was also shown a tweet from The Lincoln Project calling the town hall "a CNN sponsored Trump 2024 fundraiser." During and following the town hall, several media experts and professionals publicly denounced the event. According to the former president's advisor, Miller, in the eyes of Trump's team, the CNN town hall "was fantastic."

Revisit some of the predominant trends in music that came to define a mercurial decade, from pop-rap and boy bands to aesthetic sadness and protest anthems. Rap goes the viral pop routeAt the beginning of the 2010s, rap stars had trouble scoring their own No. Dark and dreary pop blows upLana Del Rey helped to usher in a new era of downbeat and dark pop. Karl Walter/Getty ImagesBoth the Weeknd and Del Rey have pivoted since their debuts, with their images becoming more complicated than their indie origins belie. Del Rey, meanwhile, has only burrowed deeper into her niche, crafting intensely personal records that have matured with her listeners.

☆ Ukrainian vigilantes are tearing down Russian statues and landmarks in the night to 'decolonize' their cities
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian vigilantes are tearing down Russian statues and landmarks in their cities. Activists told The Washington Post they want to "de-Russify" and "decolonize" Ukraine. Zelenskyy signed two laws last month to promote Ukrainian language and culture over that of Russia. The activists — operating under umbrella organizations such as Decolonize Ukraine — are recording the locations of Russian iconography across big cities and small towns, according to The Washington Post. The Post reported that these efforts range from Russian language on street signs and public art to Soviet symbols and statues dedicated to Russian soldiers.

☆ A Ukrainian counterattack has the Wagner boss sounding alarms on a counteroffensive in 'full swing,' claiming Zelenskyy played everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wagner boss Prigozhin said on Thursday that Ukraine's "counteroffensive is in full swing." On his social media channels, Prigozhin accused Zelenskyy of lying when he said in a media interview that Ukraine needed more time before it could carry out a counteroffensive. Ukrainian forces signaled that they carried out "effective counterattacks" that forced some Russian soldiers to retreat. Zelenskyy, in a recent interview with public service broadcasters part of Eurovision News, said Ukraine still needs more time before a counteroffensive. Ukraine's combat brigades were "ready," Zelenskyy said, but his military still needs "some things" like armored vehicles that had been "arriving in batches."

☆ CNN boss Chris Licht loved how Trump's town hall turned out, even though it was 'uncomfortable' hearing the audience cheering
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

CNN boss Chris Licht loved the network's town hall with former US president Donald Trump. Licht said that he's aware of the backlash but believes "America was served very well" by the event. While the audience's cheers in response to Trump's answers were "uncomfortable," it was "important," he added. But instead, Trump steamrolled CNN host Kaitlan Collins for 70 minutes. Meanwhile, Trump's campaign told the New York Times that the CNN town hall was a total success — for Trump.

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) - A U.S. accounting watchdog found unacceptable deficiencies in audits of U.S.-listed Chinese companies performed by KPMG in China and PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hong Kong, the government agency said on Wednesday. The deficiencies were so great that auditors failed to obtain enough evidence to substantiate companies' financial statements, PCAOB Chair Erica Williams told reporters on Wednesday. KPMG Huazhen in China said in a statement it has taken steps to address the issues the PCAOB had found. With its 2023 work, the PCAOB expects it will have inspected auditors representing 99% of the work in the region. The agency will continue to demand full access to do its work, Williams said.

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) found unacceptable deficiencies in audits of U.S.-listed Chinese companies performed by KPMG in China and PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Hong Kong, the government agency said on Wednesday. The U.S. audit watchdog published the findings of its inspections after gaining access to Chinese company auditors' records for the first time last year following more than a decade of negotiations with Chinese authorities. The deficiencies were so great that auditors failed to obtain sufficient evidence to substantiate companies' financial statements, PCAOB Chair Erica Williams told reporters on Wednesday. The two firms represented 40% of the market share of U.S.-listed companies audited by Hong Kong and mainland China firms, she said. While the findings are consistent with what the agency usually discovers when gaining access to a foreign country's audit records for the first time, they will likely raise worries among global investors over the accuracy of U.S.-listed Chinese companies' public financial statements.

☆ U.S. prosecutors look at short selling in bank shares - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Chris Prentice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, May 10 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors in Washington are looking into short seller activity around the recent volatility in U.S. bank shares sparked by the failure of three regional lenders since March, a source familiar with the matter said. Short sellers arrange to borrow shares they consider overvalued and sell them in the hopes that if the price drops they can repurchase them for less and pocket the difference. Critics say short sellers hurt companies, but short sellers and advocates say they act as an important check on public firms. Since at least 2021, the Justice Department and the SEC have been investigating potential manipulation by short sellers and hedge funds around the publication of negative research reports. The source did not say whether the latest interest in bank stocks was related to that pre-existing probe.

☆ Wagner boss Prigozhin took a rare and not-so-subtle swing at Putin, profanely hinting he could be a problem for Russia's war
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin profanely mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin in a new video. profanely mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin in a new video. The military group's leader hinted Putin was a "grandfather" who could turn out to be a "complete asshole." Prigozhin has been stepping up his feud with Russian leadership as Wagner troops are dying in Ukraine. Prigozhin releasing the video during Russia's Victory Day Parade is also significant.

☆ George Santos took unemployment for a year during the COVID pandemic despite having a $120K a year job at an investment firm, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Chris Panella | Brent D. Griffiths | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

GOP Rep. George Santos took unemployment during COVID-19 while working a $120k investment job, prosecutors say. Federal prosecutors allege Santos illegally received unemployment benefits while working at an investment firm. According to court documents, Santos "applied to receive unemployment insurance benefits through the New York State Department of Labor" in June 2020. In his application, Santos "falsely claimed to have been unemployed since the week of March 22, 2020," prosecutors wrote. Santos "certified his continued eligibility for unemployment benefits on a weekly basis" from June 19, 2020, to April 15, 2021, prosecutors alleged.

☆ The thousands of 'soldiers' marching in Russia's Victory parade weren't actual combat troops, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The "soldiers" that marched in Russia's Victory Day Parade weren't combat soldiers, UK intel said. UK intel said that the majority were auxiliary, paramilitary, and cadets from training camps. The parade featured only one old tank, no aircraft, and a few reluctant world leaders. But UK intelligence says the majority of them likely weren't actual, deployable soldiers fighting in combat. The annual Victory Day Parade — which commemorates the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 — typically shows off Russia's military might and equipment.

☆ Microsoft agrees to buy electricity generated from Sam Altman-backed fusion company Helion in 2028
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Photo courtesy HelionMicrosoft said Wednesday it has signed a power purchase agreement with nuclear fusion startup Helion Energy to buy electricity from it in 2028. "This is the first time that I know of that a company has a power purchase agreement signed," Holland told CNBC. The potential of fusion is "unbelievably huge," Altman told CNBC. As of Tuesday, this is still his largest investment ever, Altman told CNBC. Carbon-free energy includes hydro, nuclear and renewables for Microsoft, a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC.

☆ Disney CEO Bob Iger praises rival Universal's 'Super Mario Bros. Movie'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chris Pratt and Charlie Day voice Mario and Luigi in Universal and Illumination's "The Super Mario Bros. Disney CEO Bob Iger used part of his opening remarks during an earnings call Wednesday to praise rival Universal Studios' "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and its success at the global box office. "Allow me to digress for a moment to congratulate Universal for the tremendous success of 'Super Mario Bros.'" Iger said. Others said Disney has done a poor job marketing its animated films to the public. The widespread success of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" could pave the way for Disney's upcoming releases, which include Pixar's "Elemental" and the Thanksgiving release "Wish."

☆ A researcher said she named a new butterfly species after the 'Lord of the Rings' villain partly because spending 10 years on the study felt like the eye of Sauron looking at her
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two newly-discovered butterfly species were named after Sauron, the "The Lord of the Rings" villain. Tolkien's magical "The Lord of the Rings" universe includes hobbits, elves, wizards, and now, a new genus of butterflies called Saurona after the dark lord Sauron. But in an article from The Washington Post, Huertas drew other connections to "The Lord of the Rings" that suggest there may be additional reasons behind the butterfly's name. "Ten years dealing with this study is a lot of strain looking at me like Sauron," she told the Post. The world needs an "army" of people to "get involved in getting worried about nature," she told the Post.

Former US president Donald Trump continues to deny knowing E. Jean Carroll. A Manhattan jury found Trump did — and likely sexually abused her. Trump's team released a long statement in response to the verdict, also calling the verdict a "witch-hunt of President Trump." While the jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll after two weeks of trial testimony and arguments, they did not find that Carroll met the burden of proof in showing that he raped her. Jurors, however, were shown a photo of Trump and Carroll chatting with their spouses at a gala in 1987, several years before the Bergdorf Goodman incident.

☆ Russia made Ukrainians who refused to flee war-torn towns sign a waiver saying it's not Moscow's fault if something happens to them
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian authorities made Ukrainians living in occupied towns evacuate or sign liability waivers. If anyone refused to evacuate, they had to sign papers saying Russia wasn't responsible for them. Citizens told The New York Times that Russia forced evacuations ahead of a Ukrainian counterattack. But only a small number of people are actually following the orders, Ukrainian citizens told the Times. Insider previously reported that Russian authorities were forcing Ukrainians in occupied areas to either get a Russian passport or be "deported" and have their property seized.

☆ Homemade exploding Ukrainian drones are carrying bombs held on with zip ties and tape — and can't even be landed safely once launched
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukraine's homemade self-destructing drones are carrying around bombs attached with zip ties and tape. Once launched, these single-use drones can't land safely, The New York Times reports. The single-use drones can't land safely once armed and launched, but they can decimate larger, more expensive targets. The makeshift additions make it impossible to land the single-use drones safely after troops begin operating them. Still, Ukrainian Maj. Kyryl Veres told The New York Times that he sees "huge potential" for weapons.

☆ Ukraine's defense minister is worried the West will get cold feet if Kyiv's much-expected counterattack is a flop
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told The Washington Post he fears the attack is being "overestimated." Reznikov worries if the attack isn't successful, Ukraine will lose support from its Western allies. If people are hoping for "something huge," the actual results of the attack could lead to "emotional disappointment," Reznikov told the Post. "We inspired everywhere because the perception was that we will fall during 72 hours," Reznikov said, according to the Post. But the track record means Ukraine's partners now have a "joint expectation that it would be successful again," he added.

☆ In a new hacking crime wave, much more personal data is being held hostage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Kevin Travers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Gorodenkoff | iStock | Getty ImagesThe cybersecurity world faces new threats beyond targeted ransomware attacks, according to experts at the recent RSA cybersecurity industry conference in San Francisco. McMann said hackers are now focusing on stealing customer or employee data and then threatening to leak it publicly. At the end of March, OpenAI documented a data leak in an open-source data provider that made it possible to see personal AI chat histories, payment information, and addresses. The team patched the leak in hours, but McMann said once data is out there, hackers can use it. "For example, the LastPass breach saw one of four key individuals targeted on their personal computer, through a personal public IP address getting in through an unpatched solution," he said.

☆ How NBA star Damian Lillard turned a common foot injury into a sneaker business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers dribbles against the New York Knicks at Moda Center on March 14, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. That was just one of the multiple foot injuries and issues like plantar fasciitis that Lillard, now an NBA All-Star point guard for the Portland Trailblazers, has dealt with over his playing career. Exacerbating issues related to his flat feet, Lillard said the injuries stemmed from the lack of support he was getting from the standard insoles found in basketball sneakers. A high percentage of sneaker wearers also just use the standard insole that comes with their shoes. "The product has to speak for itself and the people that are putting the insoles inside their shoes," he said.

☆ A Ukrainian farmer stripped pieces off wrecked Russian tanks to make an armored, remote-controlled, mine-sweeping tractor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Ukrainian farmer has redesigned his tractor to remove mines from his crop fields. He stripped materials from wrecked Russian tanks to make the tractor armored and remote-controlled. The farmer told Reuters that rescue services are too busy to remove mines from the fields. While these Russian booby traps often require experience and intense focus to remove, one Ukrainian farmer has taken matters into his own hands: He's decked out a tractor with pieces from wrecked Russian tanks to remotely de-mine his farmland. By scavenging armor from wrecked Russian tanks and military vehicles, he's reconfigured a tractor into a machine able to detect and remove mines.

☆ Fox News' lawyers send cease and desist to stop Media Matters from publishing leaked videos of Tucker Carlson's comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Fox News' lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to Media Matters over coverage of Tucker Carlson. The letter demands Media Matters stop publishing behind-the-scenes videos of Carlson. Media Matters has shared videos of Carlson making sexist remarks and complaining about Fox. Fox News' lawyers have sent a cease and desist letter to Media Matters for America over its publication of leaked videos showing Tucker Carlson making offensive and embarrassing comments off-air. In other videos, Carlson complained that "nobody watches Fox Nation because the site sucks" and said he'd rather put his interviews on YouTube than on Fox's site.

☆ The COVID-19 global health emergency is over, even as 1 person dies from the disease every 3 minutes, World Health Organization says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, the World Health Organization said. Still, the disease continues to kill 1 person globally every 3 minutes, WHO added. Countries are now expected to shift from "emergency mode" to managing COVID-19 like other diseases. Ghebreyesus added that COVID-19 killed one person every three minutes last week — "and that's just the deaths we know about. According to the World Health Organization, 6.9 million people have died from COVID-19 since the virus began to spread in early 2020.

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