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☆ What Benjamin Franklin Learned While Fighting Counterfeiters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Veronique Greenwood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Benjamin Franklin moved to Philadelphia in 1723, he got to witness the beginning of a risky new experiment: Pennsylvania had just begun printing words on paper and calling it money. The first American paper money had hit the market in 1690. Franklin, who started his career as a printer, was an inveterate inventor who would also create the lightning rod and bifocals, found paper money fascinating. During his printing career, Franklin produced a stream of baroque, often beautiful money. He created a copper plate of a sage leaf to print on money to foil counterfeiters: The intricate pattern of veins could not easily be imitated.

Persons: Benjamin Franklin, Franklin Locations: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, England

In 2013, he listed some famous figures who were surprisingly young when the American Revolution began. For example, Alexander Hamilton was only 21 years old and James Monroe was just 18. Others were surprisingly young — even teenagers. James Monroe, for example, was 18 and Alexander Hamilton was 21. In 2013, Todd Andrlik, an authority on 18th-century newspapers, compiled a list of the ages of famous people at the start of the American Revolution for the Journal of the American Revolution.

Persons: Todd Andrlik, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe, —, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin Organizations: American Revolution, Service, American Revolutionaries, American Locations: American, Britain, Independence

☆ Stop shooting your guns at the sky, Philadelphia officials plead ahead of July 4: 'Don't do stupid'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Philadelphia officials are urging residents to refrain from "celebratory" gunfire on July 4. District Attorney Larry Krasner said firing a gun in the air is both dangerous and a crime. "Don't do stupid," Krasner urged Philadelphians. "Celebration should be safe," District Attorney Larry Krasner told reporters during a Monday morning press conference in West Philadelphia. The woman, who received stitches, told a local ABC affiliate that she agreed whoever was firing their gun into the air was "stupid."

Persons: Larry Krasner, Krasner, Philadelphians, —, Benjamin Franklin, celebrants, WHYY, Krasner —, Vonda Hairston, Hairston Organizations: Service, Philadelphia, ABC, Philadelphia Sheriff's Locations: West Philadelphia, Port Richmond, Pennsylvania

☆ Opinion | How to Stave Off Constitutional Extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Jill Lepore | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

From the very start, Americans proposed amendments. The U.S. Constitution was itself an act of amendment, written in 1787 because the Articles of Confederation were technically amendable but, for all practical purposes, not. What would be the national disgrace if … a vile Negro should come to rule over us?” These possibilities were, to Brackenridge, absurd. The rejected Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork once explained how originalists think about the Constitution and the historical record. Mecom’s biblical plea for nonviolence, for beating swords into plowshares, can be read as the constitutional preference of a constituency — women — unrepresented at the convention.

Persons: Lemuel Haynes, “, George Mason, Hugh Henry Brackenridge, Brackenridge, Robert Bork, George Washington, Martha, ” Bork, George, Jane Franklin Mecom, Benjamin Franklin, ”, — unrepresented Organizations: Continental Army, Massachusetts, Constitution, United, New York State Locations: Independence, Massachusetts, U.S, Philadelphia, Virginia, United States, New

☆ The battle over short-term rentals is heating up in Montana. 4 locals share which side they're on and why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The number of short-term rentals in Bozeman, Montana, nearly doubled between 2020 and 2023. The number of short-term rentals in town nearly doubled during the pandemic, according to analytics site AirDNA. Finegan said banning short-term rentals is "one of the most impactful things in our control" to create more affordable housing for locals. He dismissed banning short-term rentals because of rowdy or unclean guests, calling those arguments a "red herring" often drawn up against hosts. Larsen said she would support a ban on whole-home short-term rentals.

Persons: —, Bozeman, Benjamin Finegan, Finegan, Angas Reid, Michael Rutkowksi, Rutkowski, he's, Jason Ridgway, Ridgway, it's, Reid, there's, Angas Reid Ridgway, Wynona Larsen, Larsen, " Larsen, she'll, she's Organizations: Service, Time Magazine, Bozeman Tenants United, Bozeman, Walmart Locations: Bozeman , Montana, Bozeman, Aspen, Atlanta , U.S, Airbnb, Paradise, Montana, Livingston , Montana, Livingston

Ramsey asked Travis why he hadn't gotten on a "tight, tight, tight, tight budget" to get his debts down. Ramsey said Travis should meet his basic obligations then throw everything else at his "stupid credit card debt until it's gone." "But you're not going out to eat, and you're not going on vacation," Ramsey said. Ramsey said Travis had to look at his finances like "every dollar has a mission:" necessities or his debt. "You will go, 'Where is all this freaking money going?'"

Persons: Dave Ramsey's, Travis, Ramsey, Benjamin Franklin, hadn't, it's, I've, Ramsey's cohost, John Delony, You've, Delony Locations: Michigan, Grand Rapids , Michigan, American

☆ US patent tribunal sides with Intel again in $2.2 billion VLSI case
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Blake Brittain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - A U.S. Patent Office tribunal ruled for Intel Corp on Tuesday on the chipmaking giant’s bid to invalidate a patent that represented $1.5 billion of a $2.18 billion verdict it lost to VLSI Technology LLC in 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photoThe Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidated the computer chip-related patent after canceling another VLSI patent that accounted for the remainder of the Texas federal court verdict last month. A jury ruled for Intel in 2021 in another Texas patent case in which VLSI had sought $3.1 billion in damages. The patent board proceeding decided on Tuesday was initiated by South Dakota-based Patent Quality Assurance LLC. The case is Patent Quality Assurance LLC v. VLSI Technology LLC, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, No.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kathi Vidal, OpenSky, Benjamin Fernandez, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale, Dorr, Bruce Slayden, Slayden Grubert, Babak, Kenneth Weatherwax, Weatherwax Read Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Patent, Intel Corp, VLSI Technology, REUTERS, U.S ., Appeals, Federal Circuit, Intel, SoftBank Group Corp, Fortress Investment Group, Assurance, OpenSky Industries, Lowenstein, Tech Locations: Texas, Delaware, Northern California, South Dakota

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board invalidated the computer chip-related patent after canceling another VLSI patent that accounted for the remainder of the Texas federal court verdict last month. A jury ruled for Intel in 2021 in another Texas patent case in which VLSI had sought $3.1 billion in damages. The patent board proceeding decided on Tuesday was initiated by South Dakota-based Patent Quality Assurance LLC. An attorney for Patent Quality Assurance did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is Patent Quality Assurance LLC v. VLSI Technology LLC, Patent Trial and Appeal Board, No.

Persons: Kathi Vidal, OpenSky, Benjamin Fernandez, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale, Dorr, Bruce Slayden, Slayden Grubert, Babak, Kenneth Weatherwax, Weatherwax Read, Blake Brittain Organizations: Intel, USPTO, U.S . Patent, Intel Corp, VLSI Technology, U.S ., Appeals, Federal Circuit, SoftBank Group Corp, Fortress Investment Group, Assurance, OpenSky Industries, Lowenstein, Tech, Thomson Locations: Texas, Delaware, Northern California, South Dakota, Washington

☆ Not Just Math Quizzes: Khan Academy’s Tutoring Bot Offers Playful Features
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Natasha Singer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Not Just Math Quizzes: Khan Academy’s Tutoring Bot Offers Playful FeaturesThe new, A.I.-assisted Khanmigo allows students to chat with simulated historical figures or co-write stories with the software. Khan Academy, the popular online learning nonprofit, recently developed an experimental A.I.-assisted tutoring bot for schools called Khanmigo. Students can use it to take math quizzes, practice vocabulary words or prepare for Advanced Placement tests in subjects like statistics and art history. The tutoring bot also offers more playful, free-form features. We Chat With ‘Benjamin Franklin’The Khanmigo tutoring bot has a feature that lets students chat with simulated historical figures.

Persons: Khan, Khanmigo, Lady Macbeth, Khanmigo’s, Benjamin Franklin ’, Abigail Adams, Harriet Tubman, Plato, Rembrandt Organizations: Khan Academy, Khanmigo

☆ Young Cyber Companies Face Uncertain Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( James Rundle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Newer cybersecurity companies are grappling with uncertain economic conditions as they find it harder to raise capital, continue to trim their workforces and refocus on profits after long periods of chasing growth. Fed by a glut of venture-capital investment, many private cybersecurity providers hired widely and expanded their operations significantly in recent years. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ Pro Cybersecurity Cybersecurity news, analysis and insights from WSJ's global team of reporters and editors. Cybereason, a Boston-based security company, raised $100 million in Series G financing in early April, led by SoftBank. The company’s chief executive, Lior Div, was replaced by SoftBank executive Eric Gan, with Mr. Div taking on an advisory role.

☆ Strange, 7-foot-long cannibalistic fish with fangs that live in the deep sea are washing up on the West Coast and scientists don't know why
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lancetfish live in the deep sea, have fanged jaws and long scaleless bodies, and eat their own. The cannibalistic fish has been washing up on the West Coast, but scientists can't explain why. Video taken in California in 2021 shows a lancetfish flapping its jaw and writhing on the sand. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. The video shows the lancet flapping its fanged jaw and writhing wildly on the sand.

☆ Airbnb has descended on America's small cities. Now locals must decide how to contain it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In cities both small and large, some locals are calling out short-term rentals for making housing more expensive. The same question is perplexing local governments and fueling impassioned locals to weigh in: What should we do about Airbnb-style, short-term rentals? Jacob Boomsma/Getty ImagesFor Bozeman Tenants United, it's simple math: Bozeman homes should be occupied by Bozeman residents first, before out-of-towners. Formed in 2020, Bozeman Tenants United surveyed Bozeman residents on the most pressing issues in local housing and landed on short-term rentals. Fire Thunder said the increase of short-term rentals and vacation-owned properties is just one harbinger of a concerning trend.

☆ Ben Ferencz, last surviving Nuremberg prosecutor, dies at 103
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

We mourn the death of Ben Ferencz—the last Nuremberg war crimes prosecutor. At Nuremberg, Ferencz became chief prosecutor for the United States in the trial of 22 officers who led mobile paramilitary killing squads known as Einsatzgruppen that were part of the notorious Nazi SS. The case we present is a plea of humanity to law," Ferencz added. "Genocide - the extermination of whole categories of human beings - was a foremost instrument of the Nazi doctrine," Ferencz said. After the Nuremberg trials, Ferencz worked to secure compensation for Holocaust victims and survivors.

☆ Investing isn't free. But here's why 20% of investors think it is
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Investment fees may be a worthy addition to that list in the modern era — though not all investors are aware of this near-universal fact. These firms — whether an investment fund or financial advisor, for example — generally levy investment fees of some kind. watch now"And that makes you much less sensitive to the fees you're paying — in amount and whether you're paying fees at all." Here's the good news for many investors: Even if you haven't been paying attention to fees, they've likely declined over time. This is largely due to investors' preferences for low-cost funds, particularly so-called index funds, Morningstar said.

☆ ‘The Last Campaign’ Review: The Battles of Sherman and Geronimo
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Andrew R. Graybill | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

That, however, is considerably more overlap than between the protagonists featured in H.W. Brands’s latest book, “The Last Campaign: Sherman, Geronimo and the War for America.” Despite their twin billing, the general and the Apache leader do not cross paths in the book, and apparently never met. Moreover, while “Heat” remains original and taut (despite its nearly three-hour runtime), “The Last Campaign” is predictable and baggy, following an established path now beaten to dust by generations of professional and popular historians. At first blush, author and subject seem well matched. Mr. Brands is a talented storyteller, with a novelist’s feel for pacing and detail.

☆ 'Do the jobs that nobody else wants to do': CNBC's Becky Quick shares her best career advice
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Becky Quick has reached what she considers the pinnacle of her career, now at the top her her game in a job that she loves. Though these are typically considered "the jobs nobody wants to do," Quick says that she still did them to the best of her ability. "You do those jobs, and if you do them really, really well, people are grateful and they will give you opportunities to try other things. Quick also says that the best career advice she ever received was to simply show up. In terms of her best practices, Quick lives by a centuries-old mantra: the early bird gets the worm.

☆ U.S. officials address mounting tensions between U.S. and China during Munich Security Conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The officials met on the margins of the Munich Security Conference, where leaders from around the world gathered to discuss geopolitical challenges. Blinken said he thinks other countries "appreciate" the fact that the United States has "exposed" China's balloon program. He told NBC there are "various kinds" of lethal aid that China is considering providing, including weapons. Blinken said China has already been aiding Russia in more diplomatic ways, but that sending lethal aid would be a significant escalation. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also appeared at the Munich Security Conference, and he told ABC that if China does provide Russia with lethal aid, the world needs to "come down hard" on China.

☆ How the U.S. Can Use Taxes to Improve Cybersecurity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Scott Shackelford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Dr. Shackelford is a professor of business law and ethics at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and executive director of both the Ostrom Workshop and Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research. Benjamin Franklin famously lamented that in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. In 2023, we might add a third surety to 21st-century life: cyberattacks.

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Republicans on Thursday ousted Democrat Ilhan Omar from a high-profile committee over remarks widely condemned as antisemitic, two years after Democrats removed two Republicans from committee assignments. The deeply divided House voted 218-211 along party lines to remove Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee with Republicans citing the 2019 remarks for which she later apologized. She was in line to be the top Democrat on the foreign affairs panel's Africa subcommittee. [1/6] U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) walks to her office after being ousted by the Republican-lead House of Representatives to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 2, 2023. McCarthy previously rejected assignments of Democrats Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

☆ Move over Ben Franklin: Laser lightning rod electrifies scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] The Laser Lightning Rod, an experimental lighting protection device that diverts the path of lightning bolts using a high-power laser, is seen in action at the top of Mount Santis in Switzerland in this undated photograph. Scientists now are moving to improve on that 18th century innovation with 21st century technology - a system employing a high-powered laser that may revolutionize lightning protection. With further development, this Laser Lightning Rod could safeguard critical infrastructure including power stations, airports, wind farms and launchpads. In experiments during two months in 2021, intense laser pulses - 1,000 times per second - were emitted to redirect lightning strikes. Houard anticipated that 10 to 15 years more work would be needed before the Laser Lightning Rod can enter common use.

In most cases, the beneficiaries (the people who receive the payout from a life insurance plan) do not pay income tax on the money. However, there are some instances when you may need to pay tax on life insurance proceeds. Tax professionals can help you get the most from life insuranceIt's true that, in most cases, life insurance proceeds aren't taxed as income. Income tax is one small piece of the larger puzzle, and we cannot go into all the laws around life insurance and taxes. A knowledgeable tax professional with experience in estate law can help you get everything you're entitled to from a life insurance policy.

Use life insurance to build generational wealth and set family up for successReducing debt and increasing savings are two of the ways life insurance can helpDiscuss trust options with a professional if you want to limit uses for life insurance proceedsGet the latest tips you need to manage your money — delivered to you biweekly. When strategically used, life insurance offers many advantages, including the beneficiaries' ability to build generational wealth (wealth that passes to younger generations of a family). A life insurance policy can protect loved ones' present situation and help build future generational wealth. Acquania Escarne, Life Insurance Producer & Wealth Strategist at The Purpose of Money®, explains it by saying, "Life insurance is how you can buy wealth before you build it. Insider's Featured Life Insurance Companies Lemonade Life InsuranceNationwide Life InsuranceGuardian Life Insurance Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

☆ Connecticut lawmaker killed in tragic collision hours after being sworn in
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Connecticut lawmaker died hours after being sworn in as state representative. Lawmakers mourned state Rep. Quentin "Q" Williams following the announcement of his death. The collision occurred around 12:45 a.m. local time just outside of Middletown, Connecticut, on Route 9 in a town called Cromwell. The 39-year-old lawmaker, state Rep. Quentin "Q" Williams of Middletown in the 100th District, a Democrat serving in the Connecticut General Assembly, had been sworn in on Wednesday. The Connecticut State Police and Williams' office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ ‘The Contagion of Liberty’ Review: At the Start of the Spread
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Mark G. Spencer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In November 1736, Francis Franklin—Benjamin Franklin’s beloved 4-year-old son—fell ill with smallpox and soon died. Philadelphia at the time was in the midst of an epidemic, and the Franklins’ painful ordeal was one of an estimated 100,000 similar tragedies that played out in 18th-century America. In “The Contagion of Liberty,” Andrew Wehrman weaves together dozens of individual stories and their layered historical contexts to provide a fascinating account of smallpox in America, from colonial times through the early republic. Smallpox was one of the 18th century’s most feared diseases, affecting cities around the world and ravaging early American urban centers in recurring waves. The disease, highly contagious before and after the onset of visible signs of infection, was also deadly.

☆ Elon Musk appears to be reading a book by George Washington about how to behave in public
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Grace Kay | Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk's bedside table appears to feature a book on etiquette by George Washington. Musk shared a picture Monday morning of what he said was on his bedside table. The book gives advice on "how to dress, walk, eat in public, and address one's superiors." It is unclear whether Musk took the picture himself or whether it's actually his bedside table. The box set wasn't the only thing on what Musk said was his bedside table.

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