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☆ This couple paid $200,000 for their 180-year-old rainbow farmhouse and spent just as much on renovations—take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The two sat down together and drew a circle around New York City on a map and started looking for where they could buy land for a farm. The 180-year-old farmhouse originally sat on 40 acres of land. The couple initially bought 16 acres, but was eventually able to buy the entire property back. Two months and 25 viewings later, they saw a 180-year-old farmhouse on 16 acres of land in Kingston, New York. Over time, Katwise and Brown were able to buy the other 24 acres, which brought the property back to its original size.

☆ MSC cruise ship fails health inspection with the lowest score in years after CDC finds a door handle covered in hamburger blood and yogurt containers with 'black filth residue'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The cruise ship MSC Seaside failed its CDC's sanitation inspection on April 27, records show. The vessel received a 67 out of 100 — the lowest score a cruise ship has received in five years. The cruise ship MSC Seaside failed the CDC's vessel sanitation inspection at the end of April with an unusually low score. The vessel received 67 out of 100 points, nearly twenty points below the agency's passing grade. In the past 10 years, only three other cruise ships have received sanitation scores below 70, CDC records show.

☆ No Black Sea grain deal ships inspected as Russian deadline looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - The United Nations said no ships were inspected on Sunday or Monday under a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, which Moscow has threatened to quit on May 18 over obstacles to its own grain and fertilizer exports. The U.N. and Turkey brokered the Black Sea export agreement in July last year to help tackle a global food crisis that has been worsened by Moscow's war in Ukraine. Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. make up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, which implements the deal. To help convince Russia to allow Ukraine to resume Black Sea grain exports, a three-year pact was also struck in July 2022 in which the U.N. agreed to help Moscow facilitate those shipments. The Black Sea export deal also provided for the export of fertilizer, including ammonia, but there had been no such exports so far, the United Nations said.

☆ Japan's Hamamatsu Photonics says Denmark denies approval for NKT Photonics acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, May 8 (Reuters) - Japan's Hamamatsu Photonics KK (6965.T) said on Monday that Danish authorities had rejected a European subsidiary's application to acquire Copenhagen-based fibre laser manufacturer NKT Photonics A/S from NKT A/S (NKT.CO). Hamamatsu Photonics had announced plans for the takeover last June for about 205 million euros ($226 million) to expand application of its laser diode business based on compound semiconductor manufacturing technology. NKT Photonics' lasers could be used for inspection of cutting-edge semiconductor devices, among other applications, it had said. "We are currently considering further actions in relation to the decision," Hamamatsu Photonics said in a statement on Monday. The Danish Business Authority said the denial was in accordance with the Danish Investment Screening Act.

☆ 5 signs a home isn't worth your money, according to real-estate experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Elana Klein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two experts provided five red flags that may indicate a home isn't worth your money. Loren Howard, founder of Prime Plus Mortgages, and Shri Ganeshram, founder and CEO of Airbnb property-management company Awning, provided Insider with signs that a home might not be worth your money. Other visible signs of structural issues include cracks in the floors, according to Ganeshram. Ganeshram believes homes with structural problems may not be worth the investment. The Washington Post/Getty Images"If you're constantly playing catch-up with leaks and water damage, you're not investing in a home, you're investing in a money pit," Ganeshram said.

☆ US government is testing avian flu vaccines for birds, but ending the historic outbreak isn’t that simple
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Eradication and vaccinationAs of April 26, the CDC says, nearly 58.8 million poultry have been affected by avian flu since January 2022. The virus has been detected in at least 6,737 wild birds, and the number is likely to be much higher. Vaccinated birds would be protected, but with this highly infectious disease, they still could shed some virus that could infect unprotected birds. Partial protection means more birds will be spreading the virus,” Gallardo said. The US has the largest poultry industry in the world, with 294,000 poultry farms.

For the Guclu family, several of whom lived in the building, the collapse created a fatal rift. Who can be held accountable in a system in which blueprints cannot be trusted and nobody agrees on whether the building passed inspection? As the building shook in February, Mr. Yayla called out to his mother to stay in her room and get on the floor next to her bed. ‘Money From Our Friends’Family members say the land, covered in fig trees, had been theirs for three generations. By 2015, buildings were popping up all around, a testament to a Turkish economy that had been growing about 7 percent a year.

The membership of the panel at Musk’s company, Neuralink, raises questions about potential violations of conflict-of-interest regulations aimed at protecting research integrity, a dozen animal-research and bioethics experts told Reuters. Autumn Sorrells has chaired an oversight board approving animal experiments by Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, Neuralink, and also run the company’s animal care program. Reuters couldn’t determine the compensation terms of the Neuralink IACUC members who are also company employees. The independence of such boards, Nicolelis said, is critical to protecting the integrity of animal research that could impact humans in future clinical trials. These institutions generally prohibit people with direct financial interests from serving on IACUCs or voting on animal experiments.

☆ Canada opens formal investigation into Imperial's oil sands tailings leak
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Nia Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CALGARY, Alberta, May 4 (Reuters) - Canada's federal environment ministry on Thursday opened a formal investigation into a months-long tailings leak at Imperial Oil's (IMO.TO) Kearl oil sands mine in northern Alberta, signalling a potential prosecution. Tailings, a toxic mining by-product containing water, silt, residual bitumen and metals, have been seeping from Imperial's site since last May, angering local Indigenous communities who hunt and fish on the lands downstream from Canada's oil sands mines. The company first discovered discolored water on its Kearl site in May 2022 and informed the AER and some local Indigenous communities, but failed to update those communities when testing showed the water contained tailings. Canada's Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault, one of only two Liberals lawmakers in Alberta, said the Kearl leak and poor communication was "simply unacceptable". "It's unjust for Indigenous communities that are living downstream to have questions about their drinking water table and the health of the natural environment."

LISBON, May 2 (Reuters) - Portugal's infrastructure minister submitted his resignation on Tuesday as a scandal around state-owned airline TAP widened, just four months after his predecessor resigned over the same issue, but the prime minister said he would keep him in the job. Galamba's predecessor, Pedro Nuno Santos, resigned in December in the wake of a scandal involving an irregular severance payment to a former executive board member of TAP. Ourmières-Widener has since been fired after an official inspection found that the severance was illegal. On Sunday, Costa said that neither he nor any member of the government had given orders to SIS to recover the laptop. ($1 = 0.9089 euros)Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Catarina Demony; Editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ In emergency meeting, DeSantis-appointed board votes to counter-sue Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The DeSantis-appointed board that oversees Disney's district has sued the company. The move comes after Disney filed a lawsuit in federal court in Tallahassee. The board lawsuit will be filed in Central Florida, where Disney World is. Under a decadeslong arrangement with the state, Disney doesn't have to run its plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments. Last week, DeSantis' newly appointed board said "nothing is off the table" as it took on a major overhaul of the area.

☆ Nearly 200 ancient Roman coins found in Italy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Upon closer inspection and excavation, researchers determined that the find included 175 silver Roman denarii coins. Nearly all were in good condition, making this one of the few hoards of ancient coins found intact, according to the group. The coins were dated to 157 or 156 BC, and the latest up to 83 or 82 BC. Almost all 175 coins were intact and in good condition, except for two that were fragmented but can be restored. “It is one of the very few hoards of ancient coins found intact and provides a lot of numismatic, historical and social information,” Alderighi said.

☆ Deadly NYC parking garage collapse leads to safety sweep and closure of 4 garages in the city
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NYC building officials have inspected 78 buildings so far since the collapse of a three-story parking garage in April. Officials closed four NYC parking structures over safety concerns, AP reported. City building officials said they closed down four parking garages in a safety sweep of about 78 structures, the Associated Press reported. "During our sweep of 78 parking structures, we found four locations where structural concerns necessitated areas of the buildings to be immediately vacated," he added. A 2022 mandate required parking structures to be inspected by owners at least every six years, the AP reported.

☆ Swedish industrial tech group Hexagon's profit rises more than expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

STOCKHOLM, April 28 (Reuters) - Industrial technology group Hexagon (HEXAb.ST) on Friday reported a bigger than expected rise in first-quarter adjusted profit as the company's sales increased and it managed to soften the effects of cost inflation and currency swings. The maker of measurement and positioning systems and software said adjusted operating profit came in at 372 million euros ($410 million) against a year-earlier 335 million, on organic sales growth of 8%. Analysts polled by Refinitiv had on average forecast a profit of 353 million euros. "Our operating margins remained highly resilient as the business mitigated ongoing challenges from both inflation and currency," CEO Paolo Guglielmini said in a statement. Hexagon said its adjusted operating profit margin was unchanged at 29%, positively impacted by product mix but squeezed by currency translation effects.

☆ 5 reasons fighting Disney is a political winner for DeSantis — and 6 reasons it could hurt his shot at the presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

It does a ton of business in China, which many GOP voters view as a threat to the US. DeSantis already ran on being anti-Disney — and wonTaryn Fenske, DeSantis' communications director, has described the Disney fight as being "the will of Florida voters." And they might not vote for DeSantis if they think the Disney fight is a killer in a general election. Families often work hard and save for years to take their children to Disney World. If DeSantis can't bring a resolution to the Disney fight, can he handle the job of president?

☆ What it was like to pilot the supersonic Concorde jet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

It’s said that during the aircraft’s 27 years of service, there were more qualified American astronauts than there were British Airways Concorde pilots. Supersonic flyingA photo of Concorde pilot Barbara Harmer, Concorde at the controls for a London to New York flight in 1993. Concorde: When supersonic travel was a reality 02:32 - Source: CNNThe small pool of Concorde pilots also meant everyone knew everyone. It would take him back to the day he stood at Heathrow, watching the first commercial Concorde flight take off. Future of supersonic flightAlmost two decades since Concorde’s final flight, the allure of supersonic flight hasn’t waned, with companies such as Boom Supersonic plotting plans for Concorde’s successor.

☆ Bids for 2027 Africa Cup of Nations offer path for comprise over 2025 hosts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAPE TOWN, April 27 (Reuters) - Algeria head a list of four bids to host the 2027 African Cup of Nations, which the Confederation of African Football announced on Thursday, but Morocco are a surprise omission suggesting a compromise over the 2025 edition has been struck. A statement said CAF had received bids from Algeria, Botswana, Egypt and a joint candidacy from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda for the 2027 tournament after the expiry of the deadline for declarations of interest. CAF have repeatedly delayed deciding who will replace Guinea as the 2025 hosts. Algeria and Morocco are the top two contenders for 2025 but choosing between the two neighbours has become a political dilemma for CAF, sources have told Reuters. The two North African neighbours have an adversarial relationship, with diplomatic ties suspended, and winning the rights to host the 2025 Cup of Nations would be a matter of national pride and a public relations triumph.

"The Republicans have raised the debt limit. McCarthy bridged deep divides among House Republicans to get the bill passed. McCarthy called on Biden to begin negotiations on a debt limit increase and spending-cut bill and for the Senate to either approve the House bill or to pass its own. The House bill would increase Washington's borrowing authority by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, whichever comes first, raising the specter of another round of negotiations during the 2024 presidential campaign. The White House has called on Congress to raise the debt limit without conditions, as it did three times under Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.

None of the agencies disputed the allegation, and each paid penalties of $5,050, the maximum state levy for a child labor violation. The U.S. and Alabama investigations began after a Reuters report last July first exposed the use of child labor at Hyundai parts makers in the state. The U.S. Department of Labor said in February the number of child labor violations in 2022 had soared by nearly 70% compared with the tally recorded in 2018. They said false documentation, even shoddy credentials like those filed by the boy's employers, makes child labor laws difficult to enforce. An Alabama labor department spokesperson told Reuters the agency is still working to determine who exactly hired the child to work at Hyundai Glovis.

☆ Carlyle has a secret weapon for training its top leaders: a four-star Navy Admiral who led thousands of sailors into battle and captured cocaine-filled cartel submarines
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

James Stavridis, a retired Navy Admiral, is leading a new leadership program for Carlyle partners. Now, he's leading a new training course for the firm's partners called the Admiral Leadership Program. James Stavridis, a retired four-star Admiral, served in the Navy for 37 years before joining Carlyle in 2018. Inside Carlyle's first training program for partnersAbout 15 partners at Carlyle, from ESG to credit and tech, are participating in the Navy admiral's leadership program. Anna Tye, a partner on Carlyle's technology investing team, is also part of the leadership program.

☆ London police failed to learn from serial killer case, review finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) - London's police force has failed to learn enough from its failures in a 2016 serial killer case to stop similar crimes happening again, a police watchdog said on Thursday in a damning report. The review of the case of serial killer Stephen Port, who was jailed for life for the murder of four men he met on dating websites between 2014 and 2015, said the force had failed to recognise the deaths were connected until too late, despite obvious similarities. "The Met has still not learned enough from the calamitous litany of failures in that (Port) case," Inspector of the Constabulary Matt Parr said. However, the Met’s problems with competence and professionalism run even deeper: too often, they don’t get the basics right. The report said despite some improvements made since the case, police officers at the Met acknowledged they still rely on luck to identify links between deaths at a local level.

☆ U.S. DOT says Republican budget plan would cut rail inspections, shut air traffic towers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on Wednesday said a Republican budget cut proposal would shut down 375 federally-staffed and contract-run air traffic control towers around the country and result in 7,500 fewer rail safety inspection days. Overall, it said the Republican plan, which would sharply reduce budget spending in exchange for a short-term increase in the debt ceiling, would reduce funding for U.S. transit and highway infrastructure projects by nearly $5.2 billion. The White House has said President Joe Biden would veto the legislation, and has called on Congress to raise the debt limit without conditions. "House Republicans’ proposal would slash funding for programs the American people depend on in their everyday lives, including funding that’s vital for ensuring transportation safety and improving our country’s infrastructure," DOT said in a factsheet. It said the plan would also shut down services at some 375 of about 550 air traffic control towers, potentially increasing security wait times at Transportation Security Administration check points by over two hours.

☆ 'The risk of recession is far from priced in': JPMorgan warns stocks are set up for a 'bearish outcome' as investors crowd into the top names in the market at rates last seen in the 2000 and 2008 bubb
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Investors are crowding into the biggest stocks in the S&P 500 at levels seen in prior bubbles. On a surface level, the S&P 500 looks like it's having a stellar start to 2023. The chart below shows crowding levels in low-volatility stocks, which investors seek in recessionary environments. If the US economy continues to avoid a recession, stocks could be well positioned to continue their gains this year. But many strategists believe a downturn — or at least a pullback in earnings — will drag the S&P 500 down to its October 2022 lows, or worse.

Disney alleges that DeSantis tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. It alleges that DeSantis' continued action against Disney "threatens Disney's business operations." Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging that he tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. As retaliation to the Disney executives' pledges, DeSantis took aim at a decades-long provision that gives Disney special self-governing privileges in Florida. Unlike rival parks Universal Studios and Sea World, Disney doesn't have to run their plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments.

☆ Nikki Haley invited Disney World to move to South Carolina and took a shot at DeSantis, but the theme park is stuck in Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney World sued DeSantis to keep control of its self-governing status in Florida. Nikki Haley said the theme park should move to South Carolina instead. The dig didn't escape Never Back Down, the super PAC that's supporting a DeSantis presidential run. Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in April 2022. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC ImagesDisney can't moveDespite Haley's overtures, Disney World is stuck in Florida, Richard Foglesong, the author of the book "Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando," told Insider.

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