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☆ Facebook, Gibson Dunn sanction order is light on dollars, heavy on message
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Alison Frankel | Thomson Reuters | Alison Frankel Has Covered High-Stakes Commercial Litigation As A Columnist For Reuters Since A Dartmouth College Graduate | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

CompaniesCompanies Law firms Meta Platforms Inc FollowFeb 10 (Reuters) - To Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) and its lawyers at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, $925,000 isn't a whole lot of money. Chhabria, as you've probably heard, ordered Facebook and its lawyers to pay that sum to plaintiffs' lawyers as recompense for their bad-faith litigation tactics. "Does anyone really think that Facebook was planning on taking this case to trial?" This is, by far, the most likely explanation for Facebook and Gibson Dunn’s conduct." Facebook and its lawyers fell into their roles with ease, and then they took things way too far.”Gibson Dunn and Meta both declined to provide a statement on Chhabria’s order.

☆ The Koch Network Dumps Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( William A. Galston | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

William A. Galston writes the weekly Politics & Ideas column in the Wall Street Journal. He holds the Ezra K. Zilkha Chair in the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies Program, where he serves as a senior fellow. A participant in six presidential campaigns, he served from 1993 to 1995 as Deputy Assistant to President Clinton for Domestic Policy. Mr. Galston is the author of 10 books and more than 100 articles in the fields of political theory, public policy, and American politics. A winner of the American Political Science Association’s Hubert H. Humphrey Award, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data for up to 87 million users was accessed. Investors claimed that Facebook, as the company was known, misled them in 2016 by describing data breaches as a mere "risk," when it knew that Cambridge had accessed user data. "It's not plausible that the company was trying to mislead the public about something the public already knew," he said. Facebook paid more than $5 billion in penalties to U.S. authorities over Cambridge Analytica. It agreed to pay $725 million to settle a lawsuit by Facebook users in December.

☆ Top lawmakers want answers from Meta on documents which show that 245,000 developers in 'high risk' countries like China may have been able to access user data pre-2014
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Roughly 245,000 developers in "high risk" countries could have accessed Facebook users' data pre-2014, unsealed documents show. The Senate Intelligence Committee has sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking for more details. Last December, Meta agreed to pay $725 million to settle the lawsuit, which accused it of sharing users' data with the political consulting firm. A Meta spokesperson told Insider: "These documents are an artifact from a different product at a different time. Many years ago, we made substantive changes to our platform, shutting down developers' access to key types of data on Facebook while reviewing and approving all apps that request access to sensitive information."

☆ US senators seek answers from Meta on whether user data was accessed by China, Russia and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Monday, Sens. The findings are “especially remarkable given that Facebook has never been permitted to operate in [China],” they added. “These documents are an artifact from a different product at a different time,” said Meta spokesman Andy Stone. Hostile governments could seek to use Americans’ personal information to spread disinformation or identify intelligence targets, US officials have said. But the lawmakers’ letter highlights how worries about data access by foreign adversaries extends beyond TikTok and encompasses some of the largest social media platforms.

☆ CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang's secretive gene-editing startup has hired ex-Alnylam leaders as CEO and chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The gene-editing startup Aera has hired biotech vets Akin Akinc as CEO and John Maraganore as chairman. CRISPR pioneer Feng Zhang's newest gene-editing venture has attracted two longtime leaders of the biotech giant Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Insider has learned. Former Alnylam CEO John Maraganore is chairman of Aera. The SEND technology could allow gene-editing technology to treat more diseases. Based on Zhang's SEND research, Aera hopes to deliver gene-editing tools to more organs, ultimately expanding the number of diseases CRISPR can impact.

☆ Biden's stock buyback tax isn't working. In State of the Union, he's asking Congress for more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

In September 2021, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) proposed that stock buybacks should be taxed at 2%. Lazonick, who thought any minor buyback tax would be ineffective, says he has been proven correct. If a higher buyback tax is enacted, he is betting it will not have the outcomes that Democrats envision. While it's hard to see a higher tax getting passed in the current Congress, it does make sense for Biden to state his desire for 4%. Changing a buyback tax, though, might first prove harder.

☆ A prominent UK cybersecurity stock is under attack from short sellers. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Omar Marques | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty ImagesCybersecurity company Darktrace , one of the U.K.'s most prominent tech names, has found itself under attack from short sellers. Short selling is a strategy in which investors bet on the price of a stock going down in value. Darktrace, one of the U.K.'s largest cybersecurity companies, was founded in 2013 by a group of former intelligence experts and mathematicians. "This has been, and remains, a very small part of Darktrace's marketing and the costs of them over the last five years has consistently been substantially below 0.5% of Darktrace's revenue," Darktrace added. The Lynch connectionIt's worth noting that, even before the QCM report, there were clouds hanging over Darktrace's business.

☆ JPMorgan and the US Virgin Islands are blaming each other in court for failing to stop Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US Virgin Islands is suing JPMorgan for facilitating Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking scheme. The finger-pointing comes in response to a lawsuit the US Virgin Islands attorney general filed against JPMorgan in December, in a Manhattan federal court. In court filings Wednesday asking a judge to dismiss the US Virgin Islands lawsuit, JPMorgan said the US territory got greedy after already reaching a settlement with Epstein's estate last year. If anything, JPMorgan claims, the Virgin Islands attorney general's office was in an even better position to stop Epstein's trafficking scheme given its powers as a law enforcement agency. In fact, JPMorgan says, the Virgin Islands government "granted Epstein and his businesses lucrative privileges and massive tax incentives."

☆ Depression treatments haven't changed much in decades. Here are the promising new drugs that could be more precise, work faster, and help more people.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Advances in depression treatment have been rare over the past few decades. But treatments for mental-health illnesses, like depression, haven't changed much over the past few decades. Insider put together a roundup of the most promising depression treatments today, both those that have won approval and those that are in the later stages of the research process. Unlike most depression treatments on the market, Auvelity is rapid-acting, which means it offers faster relief for patients. MDD is also known as clinical depression and is defined by persistent depressive symptoms.

☆ Maryland bill would subsidize employers that pilot a 4-day work week
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —In a first-of-its-kind proposal in the United States, some Maryland lawmakers want to subsidize employers that choose to experiment with a 4-day workweek. While many 4-day workweek experiments have been conducted recently in the US and Europe, no US state has offered to subsidize the cost of the experiment for its employers, Stewart added. Employers that participate would have flexibility over how they allow workers to organize their shorter workweek, Stewart said. “It may be more advantageous to have different approaches.”The experiment should include both blue-collar and white-collar employers, Stewart added. So if there is huge interest by employers, Maryland’s Department of Labor will have to select which ones may participate.

Small businesses like his in Britain are being hammered by rising costs which they would struggle to pass onto cash-strapped consumers. It has left many small businesses fighting for survival. Over the course of last year citrus ingredients shot up by between 25% and 35% in price, he said. They now cost nearer to 15 pounds because of a 50% jump in the price of tinned tomatoes. He said: "We're just looking into every single aspect of the expenses that we incur to try and make a living."

☆ A man died after being crushed by a pop-up street urinal in central London
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A man working on a telescopic urinal in London was killed after being crushed beneath it. The urinals are stored underground during the day and are raised to street level at night. The pop-up toilets are stored underground during the day and are raised to street level at night for people to use, an initiative designed to discourage urination on the street. "We have been on site supporting our contractor and the emergency services and will assist all investigations in any way we can." A second telescopic urinal has also been shut down by the council as a precaution, according to LBC.

☆ Nick Clegg led Meta's decision to reinstate Trump to Facebook and Instagram. Here's how the former UK deputy prime minister charmed his way into Mark Zuckerberg's inner circle.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Philip Webster | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Nick Clegg has risen quickly to become one of Mark Zuckerberg's closest confidants at Meta. Clegg, a former UK deputy prime minister, led the decision to reinstate Donald Trump to Facebook. It was updated on February 16, 2022 following the news that Nick Clegg had been promoted to the role of President for Global Affairs. In a challenging economic climate, the Lib Dems and their Conservative coalition partners voted to raise tuition fees. Nick Clegg (left) and Chris Huhne appearing on the BBC's "The Andrew Marr Show" in October 2007.

President Joe Biden is searching for a replacement for National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese, who is expected to leave soon. Interviews are still ongoing to replace him, according to the sources who declined to discuss an ongoing personnel process. Biden's team is also starting to craft an economic message for his expected 2024 re-election campaign. But reducing high inflation became the administration's top economic priority last year as rising costs began to anger voters. She previously served as the Treasury's point person on international affairs during the Obama administration.

Bought from McLaren by private equity firm Greybull Capital in 2021, McLaren Applied has adapted an efficient inverter developed for F1 racing for EVs. Fry says McLaren Applied is working with around 20 carmakers and suppliers, and the inverter will appear in high-volume luxury EV models starting January 2025. NO TIME TO LOSESome suppliers like Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Actnano have had long relationships with EV pioneer Tesla (TSLA.O). Coakley said CelLink was working with U.S. and European carmakers, and with a European battery maker on battery wiring. But it has now also developed battery packs, electric powertrains, e-axles and is working with around 20 customers, including carmakers and an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft maker.

Jan 23 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by three former Whole Foods employees who said they were illegally fired for opposing the upscale grocery chain's alleged discriminatory discipline of workers who wore "Black Lives Matter" masks. "The evidence demonstrates only that Whole Foods did not strenuously enforce the dress code policy until mid-2020, and that when it increased enforcement, it did so uniformly," she added. Last June, the federal appeals court in Boston upheld Burroughs' February 2021 dismissal of a proposed class action over the dress code, on somewhat different legal grounds than hers. The Black Lives Matter movement started after police killed several Black people in the United States. The case is Kinzer et al v Whole Foods Market Inc, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, No.

☆ The promising new Alzheimer's drugs to watch — and the far-out ideas that could reshape how we treat the disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But amid some positive news, companies focused on Alzheimer's have said they've received an influx of investor interest. In trials, Leqembi was found to slow the rate of cognitive decline by 27% in Alzheimer's patients over 18 months. Eli Lilly's drug donanemab is expected to have data soon but just faced a setback from the FDAEli Lilly's donanemab is the focus of a late-stage trial. In the first half of this year, Eli Lilly is expected to release data for its Alzheimer's drug donanemab, which is being tested in a late-stage trial. Getty ImagesAduhelm, the first Alzheimer's drug to be approved in 18 years, was OK'd by the FDA in 2021 but has faced controversy.

☆ Kim Kardashian buys Princess Diana’s amethyst and diamond cross for $197,453
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Liz Calvario | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Kim Kardashian is now the owner of one of Princess Diana’s precious jewels. The “Kardashians” star bought the Princess of Wales’ amethyst and diamond Attallah Cross for $197,453, Sotheby’s London announced on Jan. 18. The piece was worn by Diana on Oct. 27, 1987, when she attended a charity gala in London. Diana, Princess Of Wales, arrives at a charity gala wearing a gold and amethyst crucifix in 1987. Diana’s famous sapphire engagement ring, which now belongs to the new Princess of Wales, the former Kate Middleton, was also designed by Garrard.

☆ Moderna’s RSV Vaccine Reduces Risk of Respiratory Diseases, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Peter Loftus | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Moderna says it will apply in the coming months for regulatory approval to sell its vaccine against RSV. An experimental vaccine from Moderna Inc. significantly reduced the risk of a viral respiratory disease among older adults in a large clinical trial, the latest promising sign in drugmakers’ efforts to fight the deadly RSV virus. Based on the results, the Cambridge, Mass., company said Tuesday it would apply in the coming months for U.S. regulatory approval to sell its vaccine against RSV, which stands for respiratory syncytial virus. If regulators approve, it could become available by early 2024, the company said.

☆ Many office buildings are 'obsolete' and need to be converted or die, CEOs of some of real estate's biggest players told world leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It's time to face a harsher reality, real estate executives told financial and world leaders at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. The results of flexible work programs have hit the values of older office buildings in cities across the world as office tenants downsize. Sajwani, Palladitcheff, Ulbrich and Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick all agreed that many office buildings will need to be repurposed or torn down. It's those less attractive places that face multiple challenges of crime and homelessness where the value of office buildings will deteriorate "quite quickly." Office buildings "will become eyesores and they will need to be fixed," Lutnick said.

But this could present an opportunity to address shortages of homes, property bosses said. "Office buildings need to be converted to residential," said Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of New York-based investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, during a panel discussion. Offices are emptier than official data suggests as most buildings are still generating income for landlords. However, as these rental contracts expire, cities like New York will have a significant number of obsolete buildings, said Christian Ulbrich, CEO of global property consultancy JLL Inc. (JLL.N). Millions of workers were forced to work from home during lockdowns aimed at stalling the spread of COVID-19 in 2020.

☆ Laziness isn’t why you procrastinate. This is
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Laziness is like, ‘I have absolutely no desire to even think about this.’ Procrastination is, ‘It troubles me to think about this. “It can leave people feeling very defeated and feeling like there’s no point in trying.”Knowing why you procrastinate can make you self-aware, but you still need strategies to break the habit. The types of procrastinationA procrastinator is usually a perfectionist, Yip said. “Because the perfectionist needs things done perfectly — all Ts crossed and Is dotted — it takes an insurmountable amount of effort. “Defiers usually don’t feel equipped to have these conversations with who they see as authority figures, or they don’t believe that having the conversations would give them any benefit or positive outcome.

Persons: you’re, procrastination, Jenny Yip, Procrastination, Linda Sapadin, ”, Yip, “, Vara Saripalli, ” Saripalli, Itamar Shatz, Shatz, Saripalli, ” Yip, … That’s, Sean Grover Organizations: CNN, Los, Little Thinkers Center, Procrastination, University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, University of Cambridge Locations: Los Angeles, America, Chicago, United Kingdom, New York City

☆ Meta sues Voyager Labs, saying it created fake accounts to scrape user data
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Voyager Labs specializes in investigative software and services intended to help law enforcement and companies obtain information about suspects, among other uses. Meta alleged that Voyager Labs' software was powered by data that it improperly gathered from Facebook and Instagram in addition to other sites like Twitter, YouTube, Twitter, and Telegram. According to the filing in the District Court for the Northern District of California, Meta alleged that Voyager Labs created over 38,000 fake Facebook user accounts. CNBC reached out to Voyager Labs for comment. Meta's claims against Voyager Labs follows similar actions the social networking giant has taken against other companies it alleged to be scraping user data.

☆ Leg-lengthening surgery still has risks, despite recent advances, and should be a last resort, surgeons say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Patients are increasingly asking surgeons for leg-lengthening surgery for non-medical reasons. Surgery is safer now, but it still carries risks and should be avoided if possible, said surgeons. Two surgeons told Insider the procedure should be avoided if possible. However, one surgeon who had refused to do the surgery for cosmetic reasons said he had recently changed his mind. How leg-lengthening worksDuring a leg-lengthening procedure, the bone is purposefully broken.

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