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☆ GM rank and file ratify labor deal, ending threat of a renewed strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Chris Isidore | Vanessa Yurkevich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The final results from all the UAW members at GM were posted on the union’s Web site Thursday morning. If workers had rejected the deal, it could have brought about a resumption of the strikes at the company. Neither the union nor any of the companies had any immediate comment on the vote results, the final vote at GM, or preliminary votes at the other two automakers. Teamster members voted 86% in favor of that union’s deal with UPS in July. Others said that the union could achieve even better deals if members voted no.

Persons: Mack Truck, Mack Trucks, Shawn Fain, Fain Organizations: New, New York CNN, United Auto Workers, General Motors, UAW, GM, Ford, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Teamster, UPS, Kaiser Permanente, Facebook Locations: New York, Arlington , Texas, Lansing Delta, Michigan

☆ APEC Summit Biden Aims to Fortify Ties With Asian Nations at Summit in San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Katie Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Image President Xi Jinping of China spoke to a crowd of U.S. business executives at a dinner in San Francisco on Wednesday evening. “There are hundreds and hundreds of activists —” Crowd: “Go home Xi Jinping!” “— who are coming together from all corners of this nation.” “We are really upset. 1 question for us is: Are we adversaries or partners?” Mr. Xi asked. Mr. Orlins said the Chinese had prepared three versions of a speech Mr. Xi could deliver that night. After Wednesday’s events with Mr. Biden, Mr. Xi picked the friendliest one.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Carlos Barria, Xi, —, Xi Jinping doesn’t, ”, ” “, Jinping, Josh Edelson, Xi —, Mr, Tim Cook, Larry Fink, BlackRock, Jerry Brown, Elon Musk, ” John L, Holden, Biden, Doug Mills, ” Michael Hart, Jim Wilson, Angus, Gina M, Raimondo, “, Ms, “ I’m, Stephen A, United States — Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, Deng, It’s, ” Mr, Orlins, “ They’re, Jeff Chiu, Biden’s Organizations: Visit, Credit, Agence France, Hyatt Regency, Apple, Boeing, Pfizer, Nike, FedEx, Elon, McLarty Associates, San Francisco . Credit, New York Times, U.S, American Chamber of Commerce, ., Mr, National Committee, United, China Relations, Associated, U.S ., China Business Council, Economic Cooperation, Consulate Locations: China, U.S, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Tibet, United States, California, Filoli, San Francisco ., ”, Iowa, Asia, Pacific

☆ A former Vice exec is launching an AI platform that can visualize entire stories, scripts, or poems from the text
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He started Lore Machine with Moises Sanabria, the company's chief prompt officer, and Kutlu Mizrak, who is in charge of natural-language processing. Lore Machine turns text stories into images, ensuring consistency in style for the different characters, locations, and recurring elements. Stable Diffusion vs Midjourney) depending on their preferences and their values. Lore Machine is currently in beta, and being used by screenwriters, artists, novelists, graphic novelists, and animators, with a waitlist of over 12,000, the company said. Campion said he expects Lore Machine to be publicly available in early 2024.

Persons: Thobey Campion, Campion, Moises Sanabria, Kutlu Mizrak, Machine's, it's, Phil Gelatt, Lore Machine's, Lore, Samuel T Organizations: Business, Machine, Hollywood, Lore Machine

☆ Layoffs keep hitting Amazon, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, and more entertainment companies — here's the list of those with recent cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Lucia Moses | Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"Netflix missed their numbers, and Wall Street woke up," said Paul Hardart, director of NYU Stern's entertainment, media and technology program. A wide range of companies and employees were impacted, from entertainment giants to independent production companies to Hollywood talent agencies. More consolidation among the legacy media companies and independent production companies is widely expected, which often entails job cuts. Entertainment companies will get back to staffing up, but the jobs will be in stronger growth areas like gaming, streaming, and advertising, more than in filmed entertainment programming. Here are the Hollywood companies, listed alphabetically, that have made layoffs since the summer.

Persons: Paul Hardart, Bob Iger, Joanna Sucherman, Fox, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nadia Sinh, Companywide, Rami Malek, Mr, Dawn Olmstead, Heather McCauley, YANNIS DRAKOULIDIS, Oscar, Severance, Roku, Alison Levin, NBCUniversal, Curtis Brown, James, Jennifer Coolidge Organizations: Netflix, Disney, Business, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, NYU, Warner Bros, NBC, JLS Media, Entertainment, Hollywood, Amazon Studios, Studios, Talent, Variety, CAA, ICM Partners, DreamWorks Animation, Apple, NETFLIX, Nasdaq, TechCrunch, Starz, CNBC, Lionsgate, LIonsgate, UTA, Hollywood Reporter, Fletcher & Company, Co, HBO Locations: Hollywood, Australia

☆ Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 drones have lost their edge in Ukraine, but the company behind them is still making a big bet there
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones were a valuable weapon for Ukraine after Russia invaded last year. The TB2 drone has lost much of its utility as Russia's military has adapted to its use, however. AdvertisementA Bayraktar TB2 at a military base in Ukraine in March 2019. Press Office of the President of Ukraine / Mykola Lararenko / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesBaykar has supplied at least 50 TB2 drones to Ukraine to date. Baykar's Bayraktar Akinci drone on display at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport in April.

Persons: —, Haluk Bayraktar, Mykola Lararenko, Col, Volodymyr Valiukh, Ali Bakir, Haluk, Bakir, James Rogers, Rogers, Oguz Yeter, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, Press, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Ukrainian, Ukraine's Main Intelligence, Business, Baykar, Cornell Brooks School Tech Policy Institute, Istanbul's, Airport Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Turkish, Russian, Kyiv, Ukraine's, Turkey, Ukrainian, Ankara, Syria, Libya, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ethiopia

☆ Nikki Haley wants you to verify your identity on social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nikki Haley says anonymous social media accounts and bots pose a "national security threat." AdvertisementGOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley says people need to use their true identities on social media. AdvertisementNEW - Nikki Haley: "Every person on social media should be verified by their name" because of "national security." "The truth is, if you look at social media, the misinformation and the dramatic sides of social media are instigating this. Haley said this was why her proposals would be necessary to counter the "national security threat" posed by anonymous social media accounts and social media bots.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Haley, —, It's, Vivek Ramaswamy sidestepped, Ramaswamy, Nikki Organizations: Fox News, Service, United Nations, GOP, Democrats, Business Locations: Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Social, Ramaswamy

☆ U.S. political violence driven by new breed of ‘grab-bag’ extremists
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +25 min

The incidents involve violence emanating from across the political spectrum, including dozens of cases of substantial property damage by leftists at political demonstrations. Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump, didn’t respond to questions from Reuters about the former president’s remarks and the impact of his rhetoric. But those who study extremism say psychiatric problems alone rarely induce political violence. “How could I take care of a brother in arms if I couldn’t even take care of myself?” Aldrich told the court. In the summer of 2022, Aldrich told the group he wanted to build a website to “promote freedom of speech,” Arroyo said.

Persons: Anderson Lee Aldrich, ” Gilbert Arroyo, Aldrich, Arroyo, ” Arroyo, “, ” Aldrich, Ted Kaczynski, ”, Brian Hughes, Donald Trump, Michael Jensen, Trump, Mark Milley, Steven Cheung, Milley, Rory Banks, Banks, Jacob Ware, Jensen, Stephanie Clark, Ashley Paugh, Barack Obama wasn’t, Republican Sen, Ted Cruz, John F, Kennedy, Matt Kriner, Troy Burke, Elwell, Burke, Jessica, Joe Biden, Sarah Huyser, John D, Cohen, Nathan Allen, Allen, Terence Delehanty, Audrey Mazzola, Allen texted Mazzola, Mazzola, Ramona Cooper, David Green, Green, “ Saint Nathan Allen, Aaron Brink, Brink, Aldrich’s, Laura Voepel, Carrie Thompson, Voepel, John Redgrave, Discord’s, ” Redgrave, “ Andy, ” Luke Simpson, Jonathan, Pamela Pullen, didn’t, Nick Brooks, Brooks, Pepe, Blacks, Simpson, ” Simpson, Michael Bowman, Joseph Archambault, Aldrich texted, Ned Parker, Peter Eisler, Joseph Tanfani, John Emerson, Paulo Prada Organizations: Reuters, Q, American University, Washington , D.C, ” Reuters, U.S, Capitol, Jan, Trump, University of Maryland’s, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, ., Council, Foreign Relations, Republican, Middlebury College’s Center, Terrorism, Counterterrorism, Public Religion Research Institute, REUTERS, Central Intelligence Agency, U.S . Constitution, Department of Homeland Security, Facebook, ” Winthrop Police, Smith, Wesson, Air Force, SWAT, Prosecutors Locations: Colorado, Colorado Springs, Washington ,, United States, Nevada, Wheaton , California, Washington, Maryland, Vietnam, Mexico, mainstreaming, Monterey , California, Michigan, Gratiot County, U.S ., Winthrop , Massachusetts, California, Texas, San Diego, Ohio, Illinois, Australia, Florida, Buffalo , New York

☆ Ukrainian Group Says More Than 30,000 Troops Have Died in Russia's Invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV (Reuters) - A Ukrainian civic group said it has confirmed the deaths of nearly 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers since Russia's February 2022 invasion by using open sources, and puts the total toll at more than 30,000. Writing in the Ukrainian journal Tyzhden, historian Yaroslav Tynchenko and volunteer Herman Shapovalenko said Shapovalenko's Book of Memory project had confirmed 24,500 combat and non-combat deaths using open sources. "That is, the real number of dead (deceased) in combat and non-combat situations is more than 30,000 people." The Book of Memory project, which has tracked Ukraine's war dead since Russia's first invasion in 2014, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Russia has also not disclosed the number of its war dead.

Persons: Yaroslav Tynchenko, Herman Shapovalenko, Tynchenko, Dan Peleschuk, Tom Balmforth, Alex Richardson Organizations: New York Times, Reuters, Military History Museum of Locations: Ukrainian, Military History Museum of Ukraine, Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine's

The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges. On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation. Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity. "Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, wouldn't, Yemen's Houthis, Mohanad Hage Ali, Israel, Mohammed Deif, Khaled Meshaal, Dennis Ross, Hamas didn't, didn't, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Israel didn't, Karim Sadjadpour, Parisa Hafezi, Laila Bassam, Arshad Mohammed, Tom Perry, Jonathan Saul, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Pravin Organizations: Israel, Reuters, Hezbollah, Carnegie Middle East Center, Hamas, Washington Institute for Near, Iran, AMERICA, United, U.S, Pentagon ., . Defense, NORTH Austin, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Tehran, Israel, Iran, Palestinian, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Beirut, Gaza, Lebanon, Palestine, United States, U.S, East, Iranian, Afghanistan, Seoul, ISRAEL, America, Dubai, Saint Paul, Jerusalem, Washington

☆ Israeli military says weapons found in Al Shifa hospital, Hamas denies it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said fire was exchanged before the Israeli soldiers moved into the hospital but there was "no engagement whatsoever" once they had entered. In the last hour, we saw concrete evidence that Hamas terrorists used the Shifa hospital as a terror headquarters," the official said. Israel has said for years that Hamas militants have used Al Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, as a cover for their operations. However, Hecht said the raid at Al Shifa was not focused on hostages. The anonymous military official said four militants had died in a gunfight outside Al Shifa, as Israeli soldiers sought to enter the complex.

Persons: Richard Hecht, Hecht, Israel, Shifa, Al Shifa, Crispian Balmer, Doina Chiacu, James Mackenzie, Nick Macfie, Timothy Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, CNN, Israel Defence Forces, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Al Shifa, Israel, Al, Washington

☆ Nikki Haley tweaks 'verify everybody' social media stance, suggests Americans can post anonymously
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former US ambassador to the UN and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley appeared to add a caveat to her proposal that all social media users should be verified by name, suggesting Wednesday that Americans should still be allowed to post anonymously online. Haley, one of the top contenders behind former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP primary race, reiterated on CNBC's "Squawk Box" that "we need our social media companies to verify everybody." She had laid out her stance a day earlier in a Fox News interview in which she said users' names should be visible on social media. "They need to verify every single person on their outlet," Haley said, "and I want it by name."

Persons: Nikki Haley, Haley, Donald Trump Organizations: UN, Republican Party of, Iowa, Republican, GOP, United Nations, Fox Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, Russia, Iran, China, North Korea, Israel

☆ Hate groups leverage advances in artificial intelligence to stoke antisemitism amid tensions surrounding Israel-Hamas war
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan Curt Devine Allison Gordon | Donie O'Sullivan | Curt Devine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Hate groups and far-right internet trolls have seized on the tensions surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, while leveraging advances in artificial intelligence to further stoke antisemitism in the United States. “We’ve seen a real concerning ideological convergence between far-right communities online and pro-Hamas sentiment,” said Ben Decker, CEO of Memetica, a threat analysis company that monitors online hate. Karen Dunn, an attorney who sued the people responsible for the violence at the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, told CNN the hate groups “hate everybody, but they hate the Jews the most.”Antisemitism is a commonality that can unite multiple different and competing hate groups, which can then metastasize into hate directed at others, she said. Minadeo, the hate group’s leader, was sentenced this month to 30 days behind bars in Florida, after distributing the antisemitic fliers. Since the October 7 attack on Israel, hate groups also have attempted to latch onto the pro-Palestinian movement to push their own antisemitism-promoting agenda.

Persons: “ We’ve, ”, Ben Decker, Christopher Wray, Memetica, Decker, Karen Dunn, “, ” Dunn, ” Decker, “ It’s, I’m Jon Greenblatt, Jonathan Greenblatt, Greenblatt, ” Jon Minadeo, David Shapiro, “ Heil, Carla Hill, – Organizations: CNN, Defamation, Hamas, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Capitol, DHS, National Justice Party, 4chan, Meta, YouTube, Microsoft, Carnegie Mellon, ADL, Goyim Defense, Third, “, Extremism, CNN Center, Minadeo, Palestine Locations: Israel, stoke, United States, Charlottesville , Virginia, Charlottesville, Calabasas , California, Calabasas, council, Covid, California, Iowa , Massachusetts, Oregon, Fairfax , Virginia, Atlanta, Florida, Palm Beach, Missoula , Montana, Arizona

More than 400 political appointees and staff members representing some 40 government agencies sent a letter to President Biden on Tuesday protesting his support of Israel in its war in Gaza. The letter, part of growing internal dissent over the administration’s support of the war, calls on the president to seek an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and to push Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the territory. Two political appointees who helped organize the letter to Mr. Biden said the majority of the signatories are political appointees of various faiths who work throughout government, from the National Security Council to the F.B.I. Some of the signatories helped Mr. Biden get elected in 2020 and said in interviews they were concerned that the administration’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza clashed with Democratic voters’ stance on the issue. So far, more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military offensive according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Mr, Israel Organizations: State Department, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Department, U.S ., The New York Times, National Security Council, Justice Department, Democratic Locations: Israel, Gaza, U.S, United States

☆ A tech investor was fired after making offensive remarks on the Israel-Hamas conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Shona Ghosh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Investor Kenneth Ballenegger was suspended from his firm Oyster Ventures after offensive posts on X.Ballenegger wrote on X that Israel should sterilize Gaza's population, among other remarks. AdvertisementAdvertisementVenture capitalist Kenneth Ballenegger has been suspended from the US investment firm he cofounded, Oyster Ventures, after making offensive remarks on X on the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to screenshots shared with Insider, Ballenegger wrote on Sunday: "After the war, Israel should handle Gaza like China handles Xinjiang. "Any employee's personal or political opinion does not reflect the values of Oyster Ventures or myself. The blowback over Ballenegger's comments also reflect ongoing tensions in the tech world.

Persons: Kenneth Ballenegger, Ballenegger, sterilize, —, Yashar Ali, Ballenegger's, Sophie Liao, Liao, I've, Bolt, Dealroom, Crypto, Paddy Cosgrave Organizations: Oyster Ventures, Service, Ventures, Summit Locations: Israel, Gaza, China, Xinjiang, San Francisco, Asia, Pitchbook

☆ Maryanne Trump Barry, Donald Trump's sister and a former federal judge, dies at 86
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's older sister, Maryanne Trump Barry, has died. A former federal judge, Trump Barry was 86 years old. AdvertisementAdvertisementMaryanne Trump Barry, Donald Trump's older sister who served as a federal judge in New Jersey for more than three decades, has died at the age of 86, the New York Times and ABC News reported. Trump Barry, who stopped hearing cases after her brother's inauguration, was a key figure in the publication's reporting. I'm talking too freely, but you know," Trump Barry could be heard saying on the recording.

Persons: Maryanne Trump Barry, Trump Barry, —, Donald Trump's, Trump, Ronald Reagan, Clinton, Louis, Bobby, Manna, Genovese, Mary Trump, brother's, I'm, Thomas Hardiman, Antonin Scalia, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Sen, Ted Cruz, Cruz, Bill Clinton Organizations: Service, New York Times, ABC News, ABC, Third, Times, Politico, Texas Republican, Trump Locations: New Jersey, New York City, Texas

☆ Democratic Aides in Congress Break With Their Bosses on Israel-Hamas War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Kayla Guo | More About Kayla Guo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

They have voiced their dissenting opinions in internal meetings and grappled with what to say on calls with constituents. There is typically little tolerance on Capitol Hill for harsh criticism of the Jewish state, which some members of Congress — particularly conservative Republicans — almost reflexively brand as antisemitic. “I can’t think of a similar or comparable effort by staff,” said Mr. Slevin, who has worked in various jobs on Capitol Hill for the better part of a decade. “It’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”In the last few weeks, hundreds of staff members have signed on to letters calling on members of Congress to endorse a cease-fire. The health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, estimates that 11,000 civilians have been killed there over the last month.

Persons: “, ”, Jeremy Slevin, Ilhan Omar, it’s, Republicans —, Adam Jentleson, John Fetterman of, Mr, Fetterman, Jentleson, ” Mr, Slevin Organizations: Minnesota Democrat, Israel, Capitol, Republicans, Democratic, Mr, Jewish Locations: Minnesota, Israel, Gaza, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania

JERUSALEM (AP) — Gaza’s Shifa Hospital has become the focus of a dayslong stalemate in Israel’s war against the Hamas militant group. But Israel claims the facility also is used by Hamas for military purposes. Throughout the war, Israel has released photos and video footage showing what it says are weapons and other military installations inside or next to mosques, schools and hospitals. The hospital ran out of fuel last week, and Israel had ordered people to leave as it conducts its ground offensive. Israel released a video of what it said was a captured militant answering questions during an interrogation.

Persons: Israel, Shifa, ”, Medhat Abbas, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, ” Hagari, “, Ghazi Hamad, ” Hamad, Goudhat Samy al, Joe Biden, Monday, ” Biden, Richard Hecht, “ We’ll Organizations: JERUSALEM, Shifa, Hamas, Health Ministry, Health, International Committee, Hospital for Children, Palestinian, Crescent Locations: Israel, Shifa, Gaza, —, ”, we’ll, israel

CNN —The Chinese government has built up the world’s largest known online disinformation operation and is using it to harass US residents, politicians, and businesses—at times threatening its targets with violence, a CNN review of court documents and public disclosures by social media companies has found. Victims face a barrage of tens of thousands of social media posts that call them traitors, dogs, and racist and homophobic slurs. While tech and social media companies have shut down thousands of accounts targeting these victims, they’re outpaced by a slew of new accounts emerging virtually every day. As part of a mission “to manipulate public perceptions of [China], the Group uses its misattributed social media accounts to threaten, harass and intimidate specific victims,” the complaint states. In the past, the Spamouflage network mostly focused on issues domestically relevant to China.

Persons: –, Xi Jinping, Biden, Mike Gallagher, Chen Pokong, ”, Chen, “, Spamouflage’s, Liu Pengyu, ” Liu, Jiayang, Darren Linvill, hasn’t, Fan, Communist Party playbook, Mandiant, Nancy Pelosi, ” Ben Nimmo, George Floyd’s, Ben Nimmo, Lindsay Gorman, Gorman, ” Linvill, Linvill, Spamouflage, Jiajun Qiu, Qiu, ” Qiu Organizations: CNN, US State Department, FBI, Communist Party, Meta, Google, ”, CCP, US Department of Justice, Department, DOJ, China’s Ministry of Public Security, Group, New Yorker, telltale, Media, Clemson University, Capitol, Department of Homeland Security, Marshall Fund’s Alliance, Securing Democracy, YouTube Locations: United States, Beijing, San Francisco, China “, New York, China, New York City, America, Washington, Hong Kong, US, Texas, Virginia, Manassas , Virginia

☆ Senior Ukrainian officer coordinated Nord Stream attack: Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pipes for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, which are not used, are seen in the harbour of Mukran, Germany, on September 30, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Nov 12 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian military officer coordinated last year's attack on the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing anonymous sources in Ukraine and Europe. Washington and NATO called it an act of sabotage, while Moscow said it was an act of international terrorism. Roman Chervinsky, a former intelligence official who served in the Ukrainian military's special forces, managed a six-person team but did not plan the attack, the Post reported. Germany, Denmark and Sweden have launched investigations into the Nord Stream explosions, which sent plumes of methane into the atmosphere in a leak that lasted several days.

Persons: Pipes, Fabian Bimmer, Roman, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Chervinsky, Viktor Hanushchak, Germany's Der, Dan Peleschuk, Tom Balmforth, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Washington Post, Reuters, Germany's Der Spiegel, Thomson Locations: Baltic, Mukran, Germany, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Europe, Bornholm, Washington, NATO, Moscow, Denmark, Sweden, Russian

☆ Jo Ann Callis’ uncomfortable portrait of femininity has resonated for four decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jacqui Palumbo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Though she made the image four and a half decades ago, “Woman with Blue Bow” seems strikingly contemporary — a timeless symbol on the strictures of femininity. Though Callis and her body of work fits neatly within this cohort, it’s not a label that Callis adopted, then or now. Callis' early color work explored restriction and desire at the height of the feminist art movement. Jo Ann Callis/Courtesy ROSEGALLERYThe red imprint on the model’s neck, alluding to discomfort, was not actually caused by the bow, Callis explained, but was rather an illusion thanks to makeup. It’s just one of the many nuances in her color work that she would not have been able to pull off in black and white.

Persons: Jo Ann Callis, Del Cielo, ” Callis, Callis, ”, “, Cindy Sherman, Hannah Wilke, Ana Mendieta, it’s, It’s, William Eggleston’s, Eggleston, David Lynch, Paul Outerbridge, That’s, Alfred Hitchcock, Sofia Coppola, ” Coppola, “ You’re Organizations: CNN, Museum of Modern Locations: Rosegallery, Santa Monica , California, China

☆ Why OnlyFans rival Fanvue is betting big on AI influencers, especially for adult content
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Instagram influencer Emily Pellegrini may look like any other creator — but she's not a real person. And she's one of several AI-generated characters who are successfully monetizing their presences on Fanvue, a platform for subscriber-only content similar to Patreon or OnlyFans. But it currently only allows content enhanced or modified with AI if it belongs to a verified OnlyFans content creator — i.e., a real person, according to its community guidelines. The platform is working to introduce a host of capabilities the team calls "Fanvue AI." But both Monange and the creators behind the AI adult-content stars on Fanvue said they are trying to tread carefully.

Persons: Emily Pellegrini, she's, She's, Pellegrini, Will Monange, Monange, it's, Sarah Jordan, There's, Fanvue, Emily Pellegrini's Organizations: Tech

☆ The Betting on the Presidential Election Has Begun
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jeff Sommer | More About Jeff Sommer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Financial journalists love Wall Street aphorisms. “The stock market climbs a wall of worry” is useful whenever investors are fretting. That hallowed saying could be repurposed today, except for a formidable problem. It refers to the betting on elections that took place on Wall Street, which was commonplace back then — and covered extensively in The Times and other major newspapers, as an important source of information about national, state and local political contests. Today, except for indirect and elaborate financial hedges on the policy implications of election outcomes, outright betting on elections is no longer a core part of American finance.

Persons: “ Don’t Organizations: Wall, The New York Times, The Locations: The Times

☆ Surviving the Holidays at Work When You Dread the Season
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Roxane Gay | More About Roxane Gay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

My boss simply never, ever, ever gives positive feedback. This seems to be fine for most of my colleagues, but I really thrive on positive feedback and always have. Most people benefit from positive feedback and other forms of affirmation, so you aren’t a drip for seeking that. If you need to frame it as positive feedback, you can certainly do so, but there’s no reason you cannot ask your boss for positive feedback in addition to the constructive feedback she provides. The reality is that you do not owe your employer anything but doing good work in exchange for fair compensation.

Persons: I’ve, I’d, don’t, acquit, Roxane Gay Organizations: NASA Locations: New York, workfriend@nytimes.com

The party in 2024 is defending Democratic-held seats in West Virginia, Montana and Ohio — all states that Trump carried handily in 2020. They have very few pickup opportunities — their best being Republican-held seats in Texas and Florida, both states Trump won twice. Meanwhile, the White House issued a statement praising Manchin's dedication to the people of West Virginia and his accomplishments in Washington. Biden said the Manchin family "should feel proud of the Senator’s service to West Virginia and to our country. When asked about a prospective Manchin presidential run, Biden's campaign declined to comment.

Persons: Joe Biden's, ” Manchin, Utah Sen, Mitt Romney, Romney, Dan Winslow, “ Sen, ” Romney, Liz Johnson, Manchin, Cornel West, Robert Kennedy Jr, Joe Manchin, Donald Trump, ”, Rahna Epting, “ Joe Manchin, “, Matt Bennett, Bennett, he’s, ” Bennett, America’s, Biden, Trump, Sen, Kyrsten Sinema, David Bergstein, we’ve, Jim Justice, Will Weissert Organizations: Democratic, Federal, Commission, Progressive, White House, White, West, Republican, Senate Democrats, Republican Gov, Associated Press Locations: Boston, Manchin, Utah, Texas, Massachusetts, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Trump's, West Virginia , Montana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, West, Washington

☆ Museum Sells Restituted Cézanne for $39 Million
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Kelly Crow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Paul Cézanne’s ‘Fruits and Jar of Ginger’ was won by an anonymous telephone bidder. Photo: Christie’s ImagesA Paul Cézanne still life sold for $39 million on Thursday as part of a fundraising effort by a beleaguered Swiss museum. The 1890-93 scene, “Fruits and Jar of Ginger,” was sold by Museum Langmatt in the Swiss community of Baden as part of a broader campaign to renovate its 1900-01 art nouveau villa and establish an endowment. Before the auction could happen, the museum reached a restitution settlement with the heirs of a Jewish collector who previously sold the Cézanne under duress.

Persons: Paul Cézanne’s, Ginger ’, Paul Cézanne, ” Organizations: Langmatt Locations: Swiss, Baden

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