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☆ An ex-Hill staffer who worked closely with a top progressive Democrat says there's no chance she didn't vet the controversial Ukraine letter. 'She keeps a tight grip on media relations'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A top progressive Democrat withdrew a controversial letter to the White House on Ukraine, blaming a staffer for its release. But an ex-Hill staffer who worked closely with her office said that's "absurd." "Everyone who has worked with her office knows that she keeps a tight grip on media relations," the former Hill staffer said. "Everyone who has worked with her office knows that she keeps a tight grip on media relations. After intense criticism, Jayapal withdrew the letter Tuesday and said she accepted responsibility for its release.

☆ Progressive Democrats withdraw letter calling on Biden to pursue talks with Russia after being accused of extending an 'olive branch to a war criminal'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Progressive Democrats withdrew a letter to Biden urging him to pursue talks with Putin to end the Ukraine war. One Democratic lawmaker said the letter extended an "olive branch to a war criminal." "The Congressional Progressive Caucus hereby withdraws its recent letter to the White House regarding Ukraine," Jayapal said in a statement. "This letter is an olive branch to a war criminal who's losing his war. By illegally annexing the Ukrainian regions and claiming them as part of Russia, Putin effectively threw the possibility of any negotiations out the window.

☆ Credit Suisse to pay $234 million to end French tax probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Tangi Salaün | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The agreement resolves an investigation in France over whether the Swiss bank, which is trying to recover from losses and scandals, helped clients to avoid paying tax on their wealth. Credit Suisse lawyers declined to answer questions on the settlement in court, with one of them saying that the deal was the best way to "turn the page". Credit Suisse shares dipped slightly after news of the settlement. One of Switzerland's systemically important banks, Credit Suisse is scheduled to release details of its strategic review alongside third-quarter results on Oct. 27. The U.S. Justice Department is also reported to be investigating whether Credit Suisse continued helping U.S. clients hide assets from authorities, eight years after the Swiss bank paid a $2.6-billion tax evasion settlement.

☆ How Brex cards and software are transforming spend management by focusing on the user experience
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Brex | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Brex ends the standoff and turns corporate spending into a great employee experience by making compliance easy and automatic. It may be the necessary and exciting future of business, but it's also a headache for finance teams. As a single solution for global spend, Brex was built for distributed, international teams. It flips corporate spending policies from command and control to trust and verifyMany corporate spending policies can make expense-related conversations feel like an interrogation: What is this expense? Brex is a complete spend solution that doesn't just address the pain points of corporate spending; it reimagines corporate spending for a global, mobile, fast-paced world.

☆ My family's 10 savings accounts may seem like a lot, but they've helped us buy a car in cash, pay for emergency expenses, and easily cover holiday expenses
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Rob Phelan | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

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☆ U.S. liberal Democrats urge Biden to seek negotiated Ukraine settlement
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Thirty liberal U.S. congressional Democrats urged President Joe Biden on Monday to shift his strategy for the Russia-Ukraine war by pursuing a negotiated settlement along with his current provision of military and economic support to Kyiv. Some Republicans have warned there could be tighter control of funding for Ukraine if their party wins control of Congress. The letter comes with just two weeks to go before Nov. 8 U.S. mid-term elections that will determine which party controls Congress. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy recently said there will be no "blank check" for Ukraine if Republicans win control of the chamber from Biden's fellow Democrats, raising concerns that Republicans might choke off Ukraine aid. However, analysts said the party was more likely to slow it down or pare it back.

☆ These 15 people are shaping the office of the future, designing meeting pods, hologram calls, and buildings that actually make workers healthier
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

These 15 power players are just a handful of the people designing workplaces to balance productivity, interaction, and employee well-being through indoor-air-quality monitoring systems, building amenities, holographic meeting spaces, and more. AftershipCities like Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; and Raleigh, North Carolina, began offering business-relocation incentives during the pandemic to boost their workforces and help increase occupancy in office buildings. Room's office suite includes a phone booth, a meeting room, an open meeting room, and a focus room. Room also makes a soundproof meeting room that fits two people, a more open meeting booth, and a focus room designed for quiet concentration. "The future of office work needs to be guided by a new, genuine form of flexibility in which the work, not the workers themselves, become even more malleable," Petersen writes.

☆ New Guidelines Could Signal Tougher Approach From Foreign Investment Review Body
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

The enforcement guidelines issued Thursday are a first for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or Cfius, which previously had no written guidelines on the topic. The new guidelines provide more specifics on how Cfius might use that enforcement power and came with a caution for businesses. The guidelines said Cfius would also look at the harm the conduct caused and whether it was negligent or deliberate. In deciding on penalties, Cfius would take into account violators’ compliance resources—legal counsel, consultants, auditors and monitors—as well as its compliance culture. The Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, passed in 2018 with an eye on China, gave Cfius more resources and a broader purview.

☆ Amazon files legal complaints in Italy, Spain against fake review brokers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Oct 20 (Reuters) - U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon (AMZN.O) said on Thursday it had filed legal complaints in Italy and Spain as it steps up efforts globally to shut down fake review brokers. In its first criminal complaint in Europe, Amazon said it was targeting a "high-profile broker in Italy selling fake reviews", but did not name the person. Four- and five-star reviews can aid sales, especially if customers perceive them as unbiased. Amazon also filed a civil complaint in Spain against Agencia Reviews, alleging the Spanish-based operator was fully reimbursing customers once they publish a fake 5-star review. The company also said it had sent warnings to five websites in Germany that were directing visitors to a fake review broker, adding that all have since agreed to stop this activity by signing a cease and desist letter.

☆ Hong Kong leader John Lee delivers his maiden policy address
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

HONG KONG, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's new leader John Lee delivered his maiden policy address annual policy address on Wednesday, mapping out his priorities for the former British colony which returned to Chinese rule in 1997. - To set aside HK$30 billion from the Future Fund to establish the Co-Investment Fund for attracting enterprises to set up operations in Hong Kong and investing in their business. ECONOMY- To set up a new Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited (HKIC) to further optimise the use of fiscal reserves for promoting the development of industries and the economy, and to attract and support more enterprises to develop their business in Hong Kong. - To develop Hong Kong into an international carbon market. - The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has begun the preparatory work for issuing "e-HKD" (e-Hong Kong dollar) and is collaborating with the Mainland institutions to expand the testing of "e-CNY" (e-Chinese yuan) as a cross-boundary payment facility in Hong Kong.

☆ Hong Kong's leader vows to roll out special visas for graduates from top universities and people who make more than $300,000 a year
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong is rolling out new measures to attract talented workers to the city, following a mass expat exodus. He said Hong Kong will launch a new visa scheme for people who earn more than 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars, or $318,500, a year. "Hong Kong is one of the most competitive economies in the world," Lee said. Hong Kong, like mainland China, maintained a zero-COVID policy since the early days of the pandemic. Such international arrivals will now have to monitor their own health for three days after entering Hong Kong.

☆ VCs say successful founders work as 'founder associates' first. Here's how to land the job, how much it pays, and why it's in demand.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Nina Anika Klotz | Nathan Rennolds | Business Insider Deutschland | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A founder associate is a relatively new job open to career starters and young professionals. VCs help startups find founder associatesSandow said Atlantic Labs felt that, given the demand of founders, the fund should create a "structured work experience" for founder associates. Niklahs added that "most founders understand that a founder associate is not an executive assistant — they're far too expensive." "Candidates have to be hungry and have the drive to learn and go through everything with the founders," Sandow said. Salaries and exit opportunitiesAt VC firms, a founder associate is a full-time entry-level job.

☆ OPEC Secretary-General: move to cut oil output was unanimous
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CAPE TOWN, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The OPEC+ oil producers group moved unanimously to cut output to prevent a crisis and stem a tide of volatility, OPEC's secretary-general told an energy conference in South Africa on Tuesday. read moreOPEC+ comprises the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers including Russia. Ghais told conference delegates in Cape Town that Africa's oil and natural gas reserves would be sought-after as energy demand was set to rise dramatically in the coming decades. He said OPEC forecast that global energy demand would increase by 23% from 286 million barrels of oil equivalent a day in 2021 to reach 351 million barrels of oil equivalent a day by 2045, with oil retaining the largest share in the energy mix. He said if investments in oil were not met there could eventually be "a serious supply shortfall resulting in more heightened volatility".

"It's a catch-up, or catch-down, kind of effect," said Galvin Chia, an emerging markets strategist at NatWest Markets. "There are some exceptional factors, but none of these would provide that kind of panacea for underlying risks that remain." Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves fell by $1.4 billion last month to $130.8 billion, due to debt payments and Bank Indonesia's efforts to stabilise the rupiah. read moreData for September also showed a surge in Indonesia's inflation to a seven-year high, reflecting a jump in fuel prices. "If you look at consumption, look at credit growth, everything is domestic, unlike the other export markets in Asia.

A helicopter flies over the downtown skyline, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, as seen from the Cleveland Clinic hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, April 20, 2020. ADQ, the smallest of Abu Dhabi's three main sovereign wealth funds, began in 2018 as a vehicle for holding state assets. ADQ and the UAE foreign ministry did not respond to emailed requests for comment. Among recent deals, ADQ launched a $300 million technology fund in March with Turkey's sovereign wealth fund to invest in venture capital funds and opportunities inside Turkey. "They are the ones that promote UAE economic diplomacy, its regional and global influence," he said.

Passengers help a baby wear a mask at the Shanghai railway station in China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Aly SongBEIJING, Oct 16 (Reuters) - China will enact policies to boost its birth rate, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday, as policymakers worry that an imminent decline in China's population could hurt the world's second-biggest economy. "We will establish a policy system to boost birth rates and pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population ageing," Xi told some 2,300 delegates in a speech opening the once-in-five-year Communist Party Congress in Beijing. Its fertility rate of 1.16 in 2021 was below the 2.1 OECD standard for a stable population and among the lowest in the world. Still, the desire among Chinese women to have children is the lowest in the world, a survey published in February by think-tank YuWa Population Research showed.

☆ Factbox: Key Xi quotes at China's 20th Communist Party Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China October 16, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"We persist in striving for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity. "Corruption is the biggest cancer that harms the vitality and combat effectiveness of the party, and anti-corruption is the most thorough self-revolution. FOREIGN POLICY"We have comprehensively promoted major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics ... and unswervingly opposed any unilateralism, protectionism and bullying. POPULATION"We will establish a policy system to boost birth rates and pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population ageing."

☆ OAPEC Sec Gen says OPEC+ decision to cut oil production 'correct'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries FollowCAIRO Oct 15 (Reuters) - The secretary general of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) said on Saturday that the OPEC+ decision to cut its oil production target is correct, and was taken at the right time. OAPEC comprises Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. The 13-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, which include Russia, lowered their production target by 2 million barrels per day when they met on Oct. 5. The move came even though fuel markets remain tight, with inventories in major economies at lower levels than when OPEC has cut output in the past. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Moataz Mohamed; Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FBI official was warned after Jan. 6 that some in the bureau were 'sympathetic' to the Capitol rioters
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dilanianmug.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

The next month, he was named deputy director, the highest-ranking official under FBI Director Christopher Wray. But sources close to the investigation have told NBC News that there have been some special agents in the country who have resisted Jan. 6 cases. Many special agents have been very proactive, while others in various field offices have engaged in half-hearted investigative efforts and seem content to let things peter out, the sources said. After receiving support from 30 former FBI special agents, Friend joined Trump’s Truth Social platform this week, where he was welcomed by Kyle Seraphin, another suspended FBI special agent who joined Truth Social and did an interview with conservative firebrand Dan Bongino after his suspension. A tip the FBI received about the Proud Boys ahead of Jan. 6, highlighted by the committee, was even starker.

☆ A founder built an executive team of former Amazon, Starbucks, and WeWork employees. Here are the 3 ways small-business owners can attract top talent.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He shared his advice for other small-business owners looking to build an all-star executive team. This article is part of Talent Insider, a series containing expert advice to help small business owners tackle a range of hiring challenges. Today Odeko has 470 employees, including an executive team of six made up of former employees from Starbucks, WeWork, Squarespace, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Atkinson spoke with Insider about the importance of building a robust executive team and how to attract top talent to your small business. Retain top employees by investing in their growthMany business owners have a difficult time letting go of responsibility, Atkinson said.

When I was 8, my parents moves us from the suburbs to a house in the middle of a dairy farm. Now I'm rebuilding my life and my own financial future as a single mom of four. We find affordable ways to make things fun, like dollar store decorations for birthdays and holidays, and movie nights at home. While I didn't proactively plan to downsize the way my parents did, I've been able to apply their lessons to my own life. Sacrificing some comforts now is making it possible for me to build the financial freedom I want for my future.

☆ Endangered species protections kick in too late, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The study suggests that the Endangered Species Act, a bedrock tool of conservation, has become bogged down by delays and inaction that are hampering its mission. Decisions on whether species should be listed are supposed to take two years, according to Noah Greenwald, the endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Species are slipping through the cracks.”The new study builds upon research that began decades ago in a study that analyzed species listed from 1985 through 1992. Although few species have fully recovered and been delisted, it’s important to remember that the Endangered Species Act has been instrumental in preventing extinction, Greenwald said. “99% of species protected under the Endangered Species Act still survive, which is highly significant,” he said.

☆ University of Florida students protest against Ben Sasse’s anti-LGBTQ past
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Hundreds of University of Florida students held protests this week criticizing the anticipated appointment of Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., to lead the school. Sasse has said that as university president, he would do his best to represent the views of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students. But for some, his candidacy has called to mind the university’s anti-LGBTQ history and the extent to which many of them feel it continues to sideline their needs and experiences, four LGBTQ students told NBC News. The university’s LGBTQ+ Affairs office, for example, has a high staff turnover rate, he said. He said a “silver lining” of the protests was that many LGBTQ students made their concerns more widely known.

☆ Saudis aren’t weaponizing oil like Americans claim, top official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Experts also fear that continued high oil prices could make it more difficult for the US to tamp down inflation, which has already skyrocketed this year. “Saudi Arabia is taking the side of trying to ensure the stability of the oil markets.”“Saudi Arabia does not politicize oil. Saudi officials have insisted that the production cut is being done to protect the country’s economic interests. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on Wednesday called for immediate action on his bill that would stop US arm sales to Saudi Arabia. When asked about growing calls in Washington to limit ties with Saudi Arabia, al-Jubeir said he hoped that such talk was motivated by domestic politics ahead of the midterms.

☆ 86% of Gen Z interns think a recession is coming—and it's changing their approach to their careers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Cassidy Case is a few months into her fall internship, but she's already planning ahead for summer. As young workers search for stability and meaning when entering the working world, they're changing their behaviors and mindsets to "recession-proof" their futures. At this stage of their lives and careers, Gen Zers want flexibility in the way they live and work most of all, Cruzvergara says. At the University of Arkansas, 21-year-old senior Oliver Sims also has his summer work plans locked in. "You could work remotely from your parents' house for a company with an office based in New York."

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